Dying Embers
by Shaz1
Summary: Callen is keeping something from his partner and the rest of the team, what does it have to do with their latest case and will they be able to help him when they find out? The web of deceit grows more tangled as secrets unravel and Callen is the only one that can end it. Now complete...
1. Chapter 1

**Dying Embers**

By Shaz1

Disclaimer- none of the characters recognised belong to me, unfortunately I am being forced to return them

This is set probably late season two and follows on from my last story Man in the Mirror- although it should make sense as a standalone.

I absolutely thrive on reviews so please make sure that you leave me your thoughts on this!

**Dying Embers**

The lone man tried his best to not sway as he walked along Venice beach- exhaustion dragging him, but he knew he had to keep moving, things had definitely not gone to plan the previous night and he had to make it back to his boss to report or he would be held accountable. It was three am, and only the streetlights illuminated his pale features as he moved as quickly as his battered body would allow. His gaze constantly moved around him- checking for any tails around him. Finally he caught sight of the office block that he was aiming for, he moved around the edge, checking for any traps, satisfied that it was safe he moved forward, pushing the door open and heading up the stairs.

"Demetri?" a voice called out from the dimly lit office.

"It's me" he replied as he stumbled up the stairs and pushed open the door.

"What happened to you?" he was asked as he was ushered further into the room.

"I don't know what happened- I went to the meet and then there was an explosion. The next thing someone opened fire on us and I had to run" Demetri explained.

"The others?"

"I am sorry Andrei, there was nothing I could do" he replied with a sad shake of his head.

"Do you need the hospital?" Andrei asked looking at the other man in concern.

"No I am ok" the younger man responded with a sigh. "Andrei, they took all of the stock- there is nothing left" he told the senior man nervously as he sat down, no longer able to hold himself upright.

"I will contact Ivor" Andrei responded, his tone also holding a trace of nervousness. "Are you certain all of the others are dead?" he questioned.

"They must be I was nearest the door when it blew, they wouldn't have stood a chance" he replied with a wince "who would have done this?" he questioned.

"I have no idea, but Ivor will find out" Andrei reassured him, "now two doors down is the rest room- go and clean yourself up" he instructed softly. Demetri nodded, struggling to his feet and heading out as instructed. He looked himself over in the mirror, one of his eyes already swelling and bruises forming around it, a cut on his left cheek still lightly bleeding and a gash in his closely cropped hair making itself known by still trickling blood. He shrugged his shirt off, unsurprised by the mass of bruises already forming over his rib cage- being blown through the air and into a doorframe would certainly do that to you. With one last glance at his sorrowful reflection he edged under the steaming water and felt the tension drain from him. He stayed under the flow of water for a few minutes before he turned it off and reached for the nearby towel. He winced as his wrist tweaked in pain at the movement and he sighed, he had to get moving- get out of here. He finished drying himself and pulled on his jeans, searching through the cupboards for a clean shirt- pulling it on drew a hiss of pain, but he didn't hesitate as he walked from the room- back to Andrei to plan the next move.

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"Ivor wants to see you" Andrei told him seriously.

"Does he blame me?" the injured man asked.

"He says not, he is suspicious of the seller. Go home and get some rest- come back tonight at 8" Andrei instructed. Demetri nodded, turning quickly and heading out of the block. Within minutes he was in a taxi heading in the opposite direction from his home, jumping out of the cab he walked for two blocks before climbing into another taxi, he repeated the process twice more before he finally felt satisfied he had done enough and made his way home. With a sigh of relief he let himself in and laid down, praying that sleep would claim him quickly.

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Sam whistled as he made his way over to his desk. He had enjoyed a wonderful rare weekend with his family, he felt relaxed and refreshed and ready to start a new week at work. He placed his bag beside his desk and his coffee on the top; he shrugged his jacket off and placed it on the chair before looking around him. Surprised to see that his partner wasn't already there, he didn't have time to wonder before a loud whistle from above him stole his attention and he looked up to find Eric above him.

"Case" the tech called down, Sam nodded in acknowledgement before going up the stairs only to find Kensi and Deeks already there. Hetty walked in a short distance behind the former seal.

"Take it away Mr Beal" Hetty instructed softly .

"This is Camera footage from a warehouse just off of sunset from 2am" he explained as he played the footage. All three operatives winced at the explosion that filled the screen a few moments later.

"Terrorists?" Sam questioned in confusion.

"An arms deal" Hetty replied, "when fire crew and LAPD secured the area they found the remnants of storage crates- crates that were registered to Pendleton marine base" the ops manager explained.

"Who was in the explosion?" Kensi asked.

"A mixture of Russian and US nationals, five fatalities and evidence that two further people were there, but escaped" Eric responded softly.

"These are the people involved" Nell took over pulling image after image up on the screen in front of her.

"Where's Callen?" Sam asked Hetty whilst the others were looking at the photographs on the screen.

"He is on his way in- you can brief him up in the car" Hetty told the former seal softly. Sam nodded, taking the handout that Nell offered him he headed back downstairs to find his partner perched on his desk waiting for him.

"You ready to roll?" the younger man asked softly, not looking up from whatever he was reading.

"Yeah, what kept you this morning?" Sam asked softly.

"I was otherwise engaged" Callen responded, already heading towards the door leaving his partner little choice other than to follow. Wordlessly the two men stepped into Sam's challenger, instantly falling into the usual habit. Sam started the engine before turning to his partner to hand him the folder of information- catching a glance of the black eye that his friend was sporting.

"What happened to you G?" the seal asked in concern.

"Walked into a door" he replied with a grin, the impressive black and blue surrounding his eye standing out against his pale face.

"Seriously man you ok?" Sam asked, worried.

"I'm fine Sam- just call it an aggressive date" the younger man responded with a sigh. Sam shook his head in frustration, knowing full well that there was more to his friend's apparent injury than an aggressive date or a door mishap- yet he also knew better than to push his partner. "Now what do we have?" he asked, flicking through the photographs in his hand.

"Explosion at sunset- looks like an arms deal gone bad- stolen crates from Pendleton found in the remnants of the building" Sam explained in short. Callen nodded as he took in all of the images and filed them to memory.

"Kensi and Deeks off to the base?" Callen asked his mind already moving through the case and planning their next moves.

"Yeah, they are going to call as soon as they have anything" Sam responded, keeping half an eye on his partner having noticed the further cuts to his face- and the way that he was using only his right hand and barely moving his left arm at all. Callen didn't miss his partner's silent appraisal of him- he had been expecting it, he knew he couldn't tell his friend the real cause of his injuries, and he hadn't had time to come up with a good cover for the obvious signs of his mishap.

"LAPD meeting us there?" the lead agent asked again, reaching for a tootsie pop that his partner kept in the glove box just for him.

"Yeah, Hetty called ahead" Sam responded with a sympathetic smile for the poor officer that had taken the call. Callen nodded as he popped the lolly into his mouth. "You skip breakfast again?"

"What are you my mother?" Callen parried quietly, his gaze out of the window and sun glasses blocked his injured eye from view. Sam just shook his head as he indicated and turned into the flurry of activity, the agents quickly out of the car and approaching the cops of scene duties.

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"Is Mr Callen all right?" the director asked softly.

"He should never have been in that position without the proper support from his team" Hetty answered, her voice portraying her anger for her agent being placed in harm's way.

"He was aware of the risks Henrietta and he was unconcerned by them" Leon responded with a sigh.

"Callen would run head long into certain death if there was a mission, and we both know it" the ops manager responded. "I am yet to have a chance to thoroughly assess his injuries" she finished.

"Is his cover still intact?" the NCIS director asked, his own concern coming to the forefront.

"As far as I am aware- there is nothing to suggest otherwise" Hetty responded with a sigh, she would almost prefer the long standing cover to have been compromised- then she would have an excuse to pull her agent out.

"Keep me updated" Vance instructed before disconnecting the call. Hetty sighed, she needed an update herself first, and more importantly to make sure that her agent was indeed relatively uninjured.

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Callen and Sam made short work of the scene itself before heading back to Ops, the lead agent unsurprised to find Hetty sat waiting for them.

"Mr Callen a word in my office if you please?" she asked. Callen followed her immediately. "How are you?" she asked as soon as he sat down.

"I am fine Hetty" he responded quickly.

"I need you to be honest with me, are you injured?" she asked again, wanting to know exactly what he had suffered in the explosion.

"Just a few bruises" he responded.

"Are you compromised?" she asked her voice low. He moved closer aware of his partner's eyes burning into the back of his head.

"No, I have a meet later- hopefully that will give me a further push within the firm to get to the higher ups" Callen responded softly.

"Any possibility of the team supporting you?" she asked, keen for him not to go lone wolf- whether that was his preference or not.

"No, not without me getting made. Tonight is make or break" he replied.

"How have you explained your injuries to your partner?" Hetty asked, accepting his answer.

"I haven't really, just brushed him off" he responded with a grimace.

"I had the rapide collide with a tree this morning and it is with the work shop now. As far as the team need to know you had a crash in the early hours of the morning. A police report has been created to fully support the story" she told him. He nodded in understanding, appreciating the thoroughness of the experienced spy.

"I'll keep you updated" he stated as he got slowly to his feet and headed back to his desk.

"Make sure that you do" she responded to his retreating back. He made as far as the coffee machine before his partner was beside him with a questioning glance.

"Are you in trouble again?" the older man asked quietly.

"Hetty needed to discuss an expense report with me" Callen responded, pouring himself a cup of steaming coffee.

"What report was it?" Sam asked, Callen sighed as if his partner had finally pushed him into telling the truth.

"For the rapide" he finally responded.

"Why? What's wrong with it?" he asked in confusion, he had seen his partner drive it out of the car park on Friday evening and it had seemed fine.

"I crashed it" Callen responded, feeling guilty for the lie he was telling his partner, but not showing anything of the sort on his face.

"You didn't!" Sam exclaimed. "You love that car" he stated.

"She's in the shop now" Callen replied with a wince.

"Man you must have done some damage if you did this to yourself. Were you not wearing your seat belt again?" the seal asked with a dangerous edge to his tone. Callen sighed with a shake of the head.

"Listen it's done, I'm fine and the car is fixable" he responded finally, moving back to his desk.

"Did you go to the hospital?"

"No need, just a couple of bruises" the lead agent responded, picking the file back up. "Give Deeks a call and get an update and I'll see what Eric has" Callen instructed, keen to make a start on the case at hand. Getting to his feet to avoid further questioning he headed up to Ops, not missing the concerned glance that his partner shot his way.

End Chapter One


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Thank you so much for all of your reviews, I am really glad that you like the beginning of this- I was very nervous about posting it! I am overwhelmed by the sheer number of reviews! Can I just ask a small favour from you please- there are several of you that have set story alerts/favourites but not left a review- when you have read this update please take the extra few seconds to leave a quick review for me it means the world!

Chapter Two

Callen was barely listening as Eric explained to him the background of the men killed in the shooting, he knew everything he needed to know already- even though he couldn't explain that to the tech. In the back of his mind he was planning the events of the evening- the meet was vital to the operation, and he had to get the tact just right. He was tired, for over two months he had been carrying out his normal duties and being Demetri at night and weekends-and keeping it all from his team, if he could just manage a little while longer he knew it would be over with.

"Callen?" the voice interrupted his thoughts; the lead agent shook his head to clear his thoughts as Eric continued to call his name.

"Sorry Eric- go on" he apologised quickly.

"Are you okay G?" the tech asked softly, concerned for the unusual behaviour the agent was displaying.

"I'm fine Eric- just keep me updated" Callen responded, before turning to leave- not quite ready to head back to his desk and the questioning gaze of his partner he headed out of the office to get some fresh air.

He stretched his back as he walked, his aching ribs protesting- but the gentle breeze soothing his whirling mind. He glanced at his watch- the meet was in less than four hours he had some preparing to do, somehow he would have to ditch the team without them getting suspicious. He grinned to himself, he had never been part of such a close knit team before- and whilst it did make him feel happy that he knew he had a tiny bit of stability in his life, it was also frustrating that he struggled to get anything past them. He shook his head with a rueful smile at the thought before returning to ops, the grin still on his face.

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"Hey Eric, where's G?" Sam asked as he jogged in to the Ops level. The tech turned a puzzled gaze towards him.

"He left here an hour ago" he replied in confusion.

"Where did he go?" the former seal questioned.

"I don't know Sam, he seemed a bit off and then he left telling me to keep him updated" the tech responded honestly.

"If he comes back, call me" Sam instructed rather than asked. He headed back to his desk- surprised to find his partner back at his desk looking intently at his laptop. "Where have you been?" he questioned in confusion.

"Ops" Callen replied, barely looking up. Sam chose to not argue the point and instead sat back at his own desk to flick through the files that the analysts had collated. He looked up as Hetty appeared between the banks of desks.

"Mr Callen, you look shocking" she stated to the agent before her. "Go home, and don't return until tomorrow morning- and for heaven's sake drive carefully" the ops manager instructed, with folded arms. Sam quirked his eyebrow in surprise.

"Hetty I'm fine" Callen protested, sitting up straighter in his chair.

"It wasn't a request Mr Callen" Hetty responded, before turning on her heel to head back to her own office- only pausing momentarily to slip a very small wink to the lead agent. Callen sighed to himself, before pushing back his chair and heading out- grateful for the easy exit the canny woman had provided him. It didn't last long as he heard footsteps approaching him from behind.

"G! Wait up" Sam called after his partner, trotting to catch the smaller man up. Callen stopped in his tracks with a sigh as his partner predictably came after him. "I'll drive you home" he offered as he stopped beside the younger man.

"Thanks Sam" Callen responded, knowing that arguing would be fruitless. Sam shot a worried glance at his friend, concerned as to how easily he had given in.

"You sure you're ok G?" he asked softly.

"My car is in the shop remember" Callen stated by way of an answer. Sam nodded, registering that his friend probably did lack the energy to go and sign another vehicle out. The two partners were in the challenger and on the way to Callen's latest home within minutes.

"Are you sure that you don't need the ER G?" Sam asked quietly, perturbed at his friend's silence.

"I'm fine Sam, just need a cold beer and some sleep" Callen responded closing his eyes as he rested his head back against the car seat. The rest of the journey passed in silence, as Sam found himself lost in thought considering his friend's welfare whilst the subject of his consideration found himself finally snatching a bit of sleep.

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Callen jerked awake as the car stopped outside of his block, surprised that he had drifted so soundly.

"Thanks Sam" he said as he reached for the handle.

"G" Sam called him back. "You would tell me if you were in some sort of trouble right?" he asked quietly- his tone serious and his eyes locked onto his partner.

"Of course Sam- quit worrying. I'll see you tomorrow" Callen stated with a smile, touched at his partner's concern. Without a backward glance he let himself into his current home and within minutes he was asleep on his beloved bedroll.

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"What's going on Hetty?" Sam questioned the Ops manager as soon as he arrived back at the office.

"You are supposed to be investigating a case, and I am supposed to be updating the director" Hetty replied in her usual innocent tone.

"What's going on with my partner?" Sam reiterated with a raised eyebrow.

"Hopefully he is getting some much needed rest whilst you work on gathering as much information about the case as you can to update him tomorrow. By which point I will have another car allocated to Mr Callen which he will hopefully manage to not crash this time" Hetty stated, gesturing wildly with her hands as she did so. Sam sighed, having no option other than to take her at her word.

"He had better not be in trouble" Sam muttered before he headed back to his desk to delve as far into the case as possible ready to update his partner the next day.

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Callen checked his reflection once more as he fastened the last button of his shirt. His watch was already encompassing his wrist and all that remained was to fasten his shoes, he bent at the waist with a wince and tied the laces. His badge out of his pocket and on the counter and his wallet full of bank cards and ID bearing his face, but not his name. He rolled his head from side to side to relieve the tension he felt, before peering out of the window glad to see that the cab had arrived on time. With a deep sigh G Callen disappeared in front of his eyes and Dimetri stared back at him instantly. Cell phone back in his pocket he headed out into the night, ready to make or break his mission.

End Chapter Two

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews- I hope that you continue to enjoy this.

Chapter Three

Callen took one last glance over his shoulder before he stepped through the door- he had been working towards this moment for months, and none of his team knew a thing. He knew full well that Hetty would be awaiting his update as soon as he was able to give it, but he refused to allow that as a distraction. He stepped through the door, unsurprised to find a group of heavies waiting for him, immediately patting him down. He narrowly managed to not hiss in pain as the firm hands caught his damaged ribs. He stood and took the rough search, fully expecting it, he had only brought his backup piece, relieved when it was missed from where it was tucked in his boot. Satisfied the men gestured him into the main sitting area of the building where his fate awaited him.

"Demetri- it is good to see you survived my boy" Ivor greeted him with a smile that was both threatening and feral at the same time.

"I am sorry the same can't be said for the others" Callen replied, his Russian flawless as he spoke. His eyes caught those of Andrei who stood slightly to his boss' left, he caught the small nod of encouragement that was aimed his way.

"They died for their cause, just as you would have had you not been exactly where Andrei told you to be" the big Russian responded softly. "The incident has left me with a bit of a staffing issue- one that I think you can help me to rectify" he continued, lighting a cigar as he spoke. "Andrei has nothing but good things to say about you and I have been impressed with your work. I believe that you have talents in other areas that we are currently wasting, I think it is time to rectify that" he explained, opening the small wooden box next to it and offering the agent a cigar of his own.

"What do you have in mind?" Callen asked softly, accepting the cigar and the offered assistance in lighting it.

"Why don't you take a seat, and we can discuss this further?" Ivor offered with a grin. Callen nodded and sat down as he was instructed.

"I think we can be very good for each other indeed Demetri" the Russian stated, and Callen, despite his experience, felt a shudder run through his spine.

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"Has Callen checked in yet?" Vance questioned via the video link.

"Not a word from him Leon, I am not happy about this situation" Hetty responded, her tone conveying her displeasure.

"And he was certain he hadn't been compromised?" the director clarified, his own concern rising- this op was a matter of national security and he couldn't afford for his agent to have been made.

"He was satisfied that his cover is secure- and I would not have allowed him to have gone back in had I had any doubts" Hetty responded with fire in her voice.

"I am certain of that Henrietta, I had to check" Leon stated, his own tone firm as he refused to justify doing his job.

"The meet was two hours ago Leon, and I am yet to hear anything" Hetty responded softly, her concern evident in every word.

"Give him time- Agent Callen is the best we have, he will find a way to contact you" Leon reassured the Ops manager, he was well aware of the connection she shared with her lead agent- but he was also intent on ensuring that the mission was completed with a successful outcome for the country.

"I hope so Leon, I really do hope so" was Hetty's only response before the call was disconnected.

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Sam sighed as he finished his run, it was much later than usual for him to be out, but something was niggling at the back of his mind. He was lucky that his wife was so understanding, otherwise he might have been out on his ear a long time ago. There was something that his partner wasn't telling him? Where had he been going in the middle of the night that he would have crashed the Rapide? Something just didn't add up- but whatever it was Hetty clearly knew about it- and that made Sam very nervous. His partner needed no encouragement whatsoever to go lone wolf on him, and he knew that Hetty was just as frustrated by his partner's tendency to push people away- so why would she encourage him? He turned around, it was getting too late and he needed to call his partner, something wasn't right and ever since his partner was well in the sights of the Russian hit squad recently sent to kill him, Sam had been more than slightly protective of the younger man. He covered the two miles back to his house in less than twelve minutes, concern making him legs move even quicker than usual. He had barely closed the front door behind him before his cell was in his hand and he had hit the speed dial for his partner. Frustration mounting as it went straight to voice mail, decision made he grabbed his car keys and headed to his car. G wouldn't like it, but he was going to check on his friend in person. Less than thirty minutes later and his suspicions were confirmed when his partner's current accommodation was empty and his badge was on the counter. He shook his head in worry- this was the worst part of his job, especially when since he had been in the partnership with the enigmatic G Callen.

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Callen sighed as he finally made his way to his beloved bed roll, it was four am, and he had only just got home. He was exhausted and his injuries were making themselves known to him. He had been tested beyond his worst fears, and somehow passed, now he desperately needed to get some sleep so that he could somehow muddle his way through his day job in a mere four hours. He closed his eyes, his head pounding as his mind whirled through exactly what had happened that evening. He knew he would have some explaining to do to Hetty when he got to work, but somehow that was the least of his worries. He winced as he rolled over, trying to push the memories from his mind and bite back on the fear that he would potentially have to go through it all again later that night. Somehow he finally managed to drift to sleep, his dreams taunting him as the restless sleep continued.

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Hetty was furious, she had been in the game long enough to know that Callen had little choice the night before- but still her anger bubbled. She had finally received a text from him at three thirty in the morning- and it had been brief to say the least. She had soon realised why when she arrived at Ops to see the latest update in the case. She didn't know who she was dreading speaking to the most the director or her agent himself. She glanced at her watch- the team should be arriving in the next hour, pouring herself a steaming cup of tea she decided to bite the bullet and call the director- get it over with whilst there was no one present to witness it.

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Callen sighed as he pulled on his jeans- he was famous for needing very little sleep, but this latest assignment was pushing even him too far, and he could feel the bone weariness overwhelming him. He knew that his partner would be picking him up any minute and if he looked like hell he would be bound to ask even more questions. Sam was no fool, and he could generally read Callen like a book- he was bound to know something was amiss, it was just how far he would be willing to push. Grabbing his badge from the counter he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed out to the street to buy a much needed coffee whilst he waited for his partner. He sipped at the steaming liquid with a sigh of relief- the caffeine instantly hitting him and helping him to alertness. Within minutes his partner pulled in towards the kerb, and he stepped into the car- handing Sam the other cup without a word.

"Thanks, good sleep?" Sam greeted, his eyes fixed on the road.

"Yeah got a few hours" Callen replied, deciding that there was little point in lying when his appearance spoke volumes. Sam quirked his eyebrows in surprise, he hadn't expected for his partner to be forthcoming with information about his welfare, he usually simply brushed it off.

"Not bad for you" Sam stated softly, not wanting to push too far- but wanting to allow his partner to speak if he chose to. "You feeling any better for it?" he asked his voice low.

"Yeah, today I just feel lousy" Callen commented with a grin, thanking his lucky stars that he had apparently got away quite lightly- a thought that didn't last for very long. The partners walked into the office in companionable quiet, each carrying their coffees. Callen had barely got to his desk before the tones of the Ops Manager rang out.

"Mr Callen- a word in my office now if you please" Hetty called, her tone making it perfectly clear that it was an instruction and not a request. Callen sighed, he knew this had been coming, he was just hoping he had longer before he had to justify things. Sam shot a concerned glance at his partner as the younger man got to his feet and wordlessly headed to the petite woman's office.

End Chapter Three

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	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a review! Please keep reviewing and I will keep writing!

Chapter Four

"Sit down Mr Callen, and explain to me why I had to endure a thirty minute conversation with director Vance at six thirty this morning?" Hetty stated, her tone light, but carrying an air of firmness to it. Callen sighed in response, wincing as the action caught on his ribs.

"It wasn't my fault Hetty" Callen stated softly. "They came from nowhere" he commented.

"I have no doubt Mr Callen- but this is on national news and your involvement is taking some covering- Director Vance is pulling strings with the FBI to get jurisdiction over the case" the ops Manager explained carefully. Callen sighed and leant forward rested his head on his hands, elbows propped on his knees.

"It was a test Hetty- a test that I passed and now we can move on in the enquiry. I am established in the group and getting more and more information every day, I know that last night was problematic- but it was necessary" the seasoned agent reasoned quietly, conscious of the rest of the team being in the bull pen. His back turned towards them he could still feel their eyes burning into the back of his head and they tried to work out what their team leader had done this time.

"Necessary or not we are accountable and will have to submit a full report of your actions and the justification for them. I have no doubt that you were fully justified in your actions, but we must still report to the pen pushers" Hetty stated, her voice steady and soft as she attempted to calm her agent. "Now start explaining" she instructed her voice leaving no room for argument.

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"What has he done now?" Kensi asked softly, noticing as soon as she arrived at the office that their team leader was getting a talking to from Hetty.

"I have no idea" Sam responded, his eyes never leaving his partner.

"Well he certainly seems to be getting an ass chewing" Deeks interjected, sipping at his litre mug of coffee as he spoke. Kensi rolled her eyes at his comment.

"Any developments in the case?" the female agent asked softly.

"Maybe that's what she is talking to Callen about" Deeks commented, not even believing himself.

"Something is going on" Kensi stated, her mind whirling as to what it could be.

"Yes, I think it is- and I am going to find out what" Sam commented with a sigh- his worry for his friend escalating with every minute the lead agent spent in discussions with Hetty.

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"Well that is certainly an explanation Mr Callen" Hetty admitted, just as the lead agent finished his vague account of what had occurred the night before. "However I do get the impression that you have left some details out- any reason why?" she asked with a serious expression.

"Not relevant" Callen responded, his eyes burning with fire as he thought of the night before, and tried to banish the memories before they overwhelmed him.

"Are you all right Mr Callen?" Hetty asked, her tone softening as she noticed his pale face and trembling hands.

"I am fine Hetty- I will update the full report this afternoon" he told her, his mask slipping firmly back into place and hiding all emotions. Hetty sighed inside as she saw her agent closing himself off once more.

"Go home Mr Callen"

"I can't Hetty- the team will get suspicious" he argued.

"I will deal with the team. You have another meet tonight, get some rest and report when you can safely do so" the experienced ops manager told him. Callen sighed, knowing that he wouldn't win the argument, before nodding and getting up to leave- stopping only briefly to grab his bag from his desk before heading out of the office- grateful that his partner was occupied so he could slip out unnoticed.

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Sam turned around just in time to catch a glimpse of his partner stepping through the door- he took two paces to catch the smaller man before the voice of the ops manager called him back.

"Where are you going Mr Hanna?" Hetty called out.

"Just going to catch Callen up" Sam responded, knowing that he would probably be prevented from doing so.

"Mr Beale has an update for you if you head on up to Ops" Hetty instructed softly. Sam sighed, but not having a death wish he did as he was told. Within a few moments he was stood behind the technological genius, the other partnership of the team stood waiting for him.

"What do we have?" he questioned, his face grim as he was prevented from going after his partner.

"I have done some research into the men at the explosion site- four of them were Russian nationals- all previously linked to this man" Eric stated, typing on the keyboard until an image filled the screen in front of them. "This is Ivor Gordenskov- he is an arms dealer from Moscow, links to organised crimes and more recently on the watch list of the FBI for his links to Al Qaeda" Eric finished.

"A Russian organised crime gang providing weaponry to the biggest threat to National security we have ever known?" Sam questioned in confusion.

"Gordenskov has no known loyalty to any organisation in particular- he has been linked previously to the IRA, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad and INLA over the course of the last thirty years. The intelligence states that he had been a person of interest since 1979 and now he is here in Los Angeles" Nell told them, showing a range of photographs from the last three decades as she spoke.

"He's a dangerous man" Deeks commented, an understatement from the detective.

"What are his links to LA?" Kensi asked, her stomach churning in concern at the thought of such a man being in their state, never mind the country.

"He has several- a few years ago his daughter married this man" Eric informed them bringing up a new picture "This is Andrei Bolcheck- moved to LA when he was twenty two years old and since 2007 has been employed by GMS- Gordenskov Management Services a PR company in Hollywood. He has been seen several times with Gordenskov and is well and truly involved in the true family business" he finished.

"Any others faces?" Sam asked, absorbing all of the information in his usual calm fashion.

"No, we knew of those killed in the explosion, and we have details of one or two of the lower level members" Nell responded. "There is one male that appears to be moving up in the organisation- but we know very little about him- only glimpses of him in photographs, more and more often seen with the big man himself" she told them.

"What do we know?" Sam asked, certain that they would be able to locate him.

"White male, late thirties to early forties and that is literally it. He is like a ghost- very conscious of all cameras and there is not a single photo of him on the database so there is nothing to run through Kaleidoscope or facial recognition" Nell told them in frustration. Sam sighed, surprised at the lack of information the intelligence analyst had managed to uncover.

"Any way in for us?" he asked, his mind already pondering their next move.

"Not an obvious one" the ops manager interjected, stepping forward to face the assembled team. "The CIA, FBI and NSA have all previously tried" she told them in earnest.

"What happened?" Kensi asked, her face a picture of seriousness.

"The CIA never made it through the door, the FBI lost an agent and the NSA are yet to get any further than a passing conversation" Hetty explained sadly. "This group are some of the worst people we have ever come across. They are driven purely by money and power, and have plenty of both already. They have no loyalty to anybody other than themselves and would do anything to protect themselves from prosecution" she explained.

"Then where do we go from here?" Deeks asked, his tone as serious as it ever got.

"We get as much information on them and their associates as possible, and then we take them down- and take them down hard" Hetty stated before turning on her heel, Sam right behind her.

"Where's Callen?" he asked, out of earshot of the rest of the team.

"Uncontactable" she responded firmly.

"Hetty…" Sam said warningly.

"Mr Hanna- leave Callen be" the ops manager replied, leaving no room for argument.

"Hetty- last time he went off by himself he was almost killed" Sam reasoned.

"Sam, Mr Callen is getting some much needed rest, he will be back in the fold tomorrow. I will fully update him on the case personally" she responded, before turning away and returning to her office- hoping to every god that she knew that her words would be proven true.

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Callen squinted against the sun as he strolled along the beach, the crashing of the waves clearing his mind. He had to get his head straight before his next mission that evening. He knew that soon it would be all encompassing and he would have to step out of his own life and into Demetri's until the takedown. He was dreading it- ever since his latest brush with death he had been struggling with further nightmares and insomnia. The events of the previous evening adding to the weight he carried on his shoulders. He had been in the game for two decades, and had seen most things imaginable- yet somehow the night before disturbed him on a number of levels. He sighed as he kicked at the sand, he knew that he should be getting some sleep- yet he feared closing his eyes and relaxing his guard enough to allow it. He had five hours before he was due at his new job, and yet he couldn't bring himself to start getting ready. He sped up heading towards the hot dog stand at the end of the walkway- buying himself his first meal of the day- he struggled to taste it as it felt like sand in his mouth. His thoughts drifted as he made his way back to his house- the smell of blood invading his nostrils as memories assaulted his senses, he shook his head and bit back on a groan as his injuries made themselves known. He had been vague in his account to Hetty, not out of any deceit, more that he couldn't face verbalising the words. To speak what had happened would make it even more true, and that would probably finish him. With one last deep breath of air he headed into his home and grabbing a beer from the fridge drank it back in two gulps before sitting down on the solitary chair he owned and resting his head back and allowing his eyes to slip shut.

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"_Shoot her" the voice called out in Russian._

"_Why?" Callen asked, the gun suddenly heavy in his hand._

"_She is a traitor- a spy. She works for the FBI- she was sent to kill us" the man continued, his voice a hiss and his fists clenched in anger at his side. "You shoot her- and you prove to me whose side you are on, or are you a traitor too?" he asked, his tone dropped to a deadly whisper. Callen felt the weight of the gun in his hand, the handle heavy- believing it to hold a full clip of ammunition._

"_I am no traitor- and I am no one's slave- you want her dead, you kill her yourself" Callen responded, a flash of anger glistening in his blue eyes as he watched the other man walk closer to him. _

"_I might just do that Demetri" he whispered directly in his ear, his hand going up to clasp the agent's shoulder. "Hand me the gun" he instructed, and Callen handed it over the safety applied to buy as much time as he was able. _

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Callen jolted awake with a start, his mind protecting him from himself. He checked his watch and noticed that he just had time for a shower and a coffee before he had to head out. Silently he scrubbed himself until his skin was red raw- yet still felt filthy. He pulled on clean jeans and a dress shirt- before shrugging into his sport's jacket. The comforting weight of his sig was at his back, and he was out of the door in moments.

End Chapter Four

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	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

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Sorry for the longer than usual delay- I will try to post the next chapter in a more timely fashion!

Chapter Five

"You're late" Andrei hissed at the undercover agent as he stepped through the door.

"I got delayed" Callen replied softly, his blue eyes locked on to those of the other man to convey the truth in his words.

"Everything ok?" the Russian asked softly taking in the other man's appearance.

"Fine, just a little car trouble" Callen replied shrugging his jacket off and hanging it up on the coat rack behind him. "What's the plan for tonight?" he asked as he sat beside the other man.

"You have passed every test he has thrown at you Demetri you have nothing to fear" Andrei stated softly.

"I don't fear him" Callen replied, pouring himself a vodka and slinging it back. He usually avoided drinking whilst on any undercover op, but the longer term ones proved harder and to not drink would appear unnatural in his current guise.

"Perhaps you should a little- he is a dangerous man" Andrei responded, drinking his own drink as he spoke. "He would kill you without flinching" he finished. Callen nodded, not doubting the words for a second- he just knew that he would make sure that Ivor never got the chance. "Now finish your drink there is work to be done" Andrei instructed getting to his feet and leading the way out of the door. Callen followed in silence. "We have a very important meeting tonight. Ivor has secured a large shipment of various arms" the Russian explained.

"Where from?" Callen asked with a grin, glad that things were moving along nicely.

"We do not need to know. We have a meeting tonight with a possible buyer- there are two parties interested, whoever offers the highest price gets the goods" Andrei explained.

"Simple. Who are the two groups?" the undercover agent asked, keen to gather as much information as possible.

"I don't know, I don't need to and neither do you. It is no concern of ours what they do with the goods once they buy them- I don't think about it" the older man explained. "Demetri- you are a good boy, are you sure you wish to follow your path into this line of work? Once you go to this meeting there will be no turning back and you will belong to Ivor. You will know far too much for there to be any other option" Andrei asked, his tone carrying a hint of sadness and concern for the other man.

"Thank you Andrei, but yes I am sure. I feel that this is what I was born to do" Callen responded, his eyes burning with passion as he spoke the truest words he was able. Andrei nodded, satisfied with the answer.

"Yes Demetri, I fear you may be right" he responded with a smile, taking his car keys from his pocket and immediately unlocking the Mercedes that awaited them outside. Without further words both men were in the car and heading to the meeting that would make or break both of them- only neither of them knew how much at that moment in time.

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"Demetri this is Asad- Asad, Demetri" Andrei introduced quickly nodding at each man in turn. He glanced around the restaurant and immediately noticed four men two tables away who were clearly the protection detail. The three sat down at the table, all pleasantries shared between them as they quickly ordered still water and a main meal each.

"I trust you had a pleasant journey?" Andrei asked the Arab with a smile.

"Yes, very smooth transfer thank you. Is Mr Gordenskov not available?" the man asked quietly.

"I am afraid he is otherwise engaged, he sends his apologies" Andrei replied quickly. "I am authorised to act on his behalf" he explained pouring three glasses of the bottled water.

"And you?" Asad asked Callen softly looking at the mysterious man in interest.

"I am here to protect his interests" Callen replied his tone serious and his eyes hard. Andrei looked at the younger man with a hint of approval as the Arab accepted his answer.

"Ok then gentlemen let's get down to business" the visitor suggested softly, sitting back and sipping his water as the three men talked numbers.

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Hetty paced as she sipped at her tea. She despised it when her lead agent was out on a limb operationally- despite the fact that she knew she had no option and the seasoned agent was more than capable of taking care of himself – ever since his latest brush with death she had found herself even more protective than usual of him. It was still two hours before the talented agent was due to check in, but still she felt her stomach rolling with worry- it was a dangerous game that they were playing and her agent's life was well and truly at stake, they couldn't afford to lose.

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"That seemed to go well" Callen commented as the two stepped into the car, the meal had gone smoothly with the visitor- yet somehow the agent knew that wasn't the end of the matter.

"Yes, I am sure Ivor will be satisfied with his offer" Andrei replied as he turned the key in the ignition, the car roaring to life. "We have another meeting tomorrow morning that will hopefully go as well" the Russian continued with a wink. Callen nodded in acknowledgement.

"Hopefully tomorrow's meeting will go as well" Callen commented lightly.

"We will make sure that it does" Andrei replied, making it clear that he was required the following morning. "Ivor will be very pleased with your work here Demetri" he told the younger man with a smile.

"Good- I want to please him" Callen responded softly. Andrei nodded and continued driving- the agent felt his stomach churn as he realised he clearly wasn't going home that night- the fear from the night before overwhelming his senses as the car made its way through the city streets in silence. Finally the car drew to a stop within the gates of an exclusive house on the edge of the city.

"Where are we?" Callen asked as he stepped out, following closely behind the Russian.

"One of Ivor's properties- he wanted to show his gratitude by extending his hospitality for the evening, makes it easier in the morning" Andrei explained as he opened the front door and gestured the agent inside. Callen stepped through, surveying his surroundings nonchalantly.

"Very generous of him" he responded with a grin. "Where's the bathroom?" he asked with a wince.

"Second left down the hall" the other man pointed out. Callen nodded and headed as directed finding the toilet easily he shut and locked the door behind him- taking out his cell phone he text as much detail as he dared to Hetty, before sending through the pictures he had managed to take of the Arab they had met. When he was certain they had gone through he deleted all trace of the messages and the texts- before placing the phone back in his pocket. Flushing the toilet he washed his hands and stepped back out, following the hall back to the kitchen.

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Hetty jerked awake as her phone beeped beside her, symbolising a flurry for texts from her agent. She looked at the picture messages in interest, surprised he had managed to take them at all, let alone send them through to her. She read through the vague details her agent had managed to send and understood the code word that ended the messages. She sighed deeply- her agent wasn't able to make it out of his cover and was basically forced to remain under for the night. She wasn't happy about it, but knew there was nothing that she could do about it- other than to hope and pray that the famous G Callen charm and luck would hold him in good stead again.

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Callen sipped at the whiskey that he had been handed, listening to the plans for the next day- he couldn't ignore the increasing fuzziness that was forming in his brain. Every blink proved harder to open his eyes from, and the words he knew were aimed at him were forming a dull humming in his ears. He felt himself drifting, and just as he slumped forward where he sat he was aware of relatively gentle arms catching him and murmured words in his ear.

"I'm sorry Demetri- I have to be sure" Andrei muttered as he carried the now unconscious man up the stairs.

End Chapter Five

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	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

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Chapter Six

Callen groaned as he opened his eyes, his brain foggy as he fought to remember why he felt like he had drowned in a bottle of whiskey. He raised his hands to his head and gingerly massaged his temple, desperately trying to remember what had happened the night before for him to feel so bad now. He swung his legs around as he sat up on the bed- surveying his surroundings and trying to recognise where he was. He gulped as a swell of nausea overwhelmed him, the complete lack of recollection throwing him even further off kilter. With a grunt of effort he made it to his feet, hand going to his back and finding his trusty SIG missing, he shook his head in despair as he moved towards the door- trying to ignore the dizziness the movement caused.

"Ah you're up" a voice commented to the side of him as he stepped from the room. He whirled around to look at who had spoken- surprised at the male stood in front of him.

"Andrei?" Callen questioned softly, not trusting his voice to go any louder. "What the hell happened? What did you do?" he asked, unable to disguise the hint of accusation in his voice.

"Come Demetri, come and sit down and have some coffee" Andrei suggested as he took the unsteady man by the elbow and lead him back down to the kitchen. Lacking the energy to argue Callen moved wordlessly with the other man. "I am sorry Demetri- I had no idea it would hit you so hard" Andrei apologised as he handed the other man a steaming mug of coffee.

"What did you do?" Callen repeated, looking at the coffee he held in concern.

"Relax Demetri- I promise it is safe for you to drink, we have our answers now" the Russian commented sitting down beside the undercover agent.

"What were the questions?" Callen asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Ivor needed to be sure- it was better to check now, for your own safety" Andrei informed the other man softly, his voice carrying a hint of shame at his words.

"You searched my stuff didn't you?" Callen asked, instantly relieved that he was naturally paranoid and had kept his cover phone clean and completely untraceable.

"Yes, as well as your background history- and everything came back as you said- and as I expected"

"If you expected it why betray my trust like that?" Callen asked, his tone holding the genuine dismay he felt.

"It was to protect both of us- now Ivor has proof and we can continue with the meets" Andrei answered, hoping that the younger man would take him at his word. Callen shook his head lightly, wincing as the motion hurt him.

"I understand" Callen finally responded, and he really did- he had half expected it, especially after the other night. He just hadn't expected to be drugged and the thought unnerved him.

"The drugs should be out of your system in a few hours" Andrei explained gently. "Maybe you should try and get some more sleep" he suggested noticing the pale appearance of the other man. Callen nodded, he felt exhausted and shaky and he needed to check in, but at that moment all he could concentrate on was the thought of some sleep in his own home.

"Can you drive me home?" he asked softly, looking down at his hands as he asked.

"Ivor intends for you to stay here for today" Andrei refused softly.

"Am I a prisoner?" Callen asked, his eyes ablaze.

"Of course not- you are a friend"

"Then please take me home friend" Callen asked again. Andrei sighed, concerned for the other man- who genuinely looked ill he finally nodded before grabbing his car keys and leading the way out of the house, pointing out the small pile of his friend's belongings as he did so. Callen picked them up wordlessly and followed the other man.

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Hetty glanced at her watch, noting that it was already lunch time and there was still no sign of her team leader and no check in from him either. It was too early to call Vance and set contingencies into place, especially with the update that Callen had sent the night before- yet a churning in her stomach told her that something was wrong- she just wished she knew what it was. She looked up as her senses told her that she was being watched- and found herself looking directly at Sam Hanna. Taking her glance as invitation Sam got to his feet and made his way over to her office.

"Where's Callen?" he asked the operations manager quietly.

"He is running some errands" Hetty replied firmly, her tone leaving no room for arguments.

"Have you heard from him?" Sam asked, the look on the woman's face confirming to him that he had reason to be worried for his partner.

"Not since last night" Hetty replied honestly with a sigh.

"Should I be worried?" Sam asked, sitting down in front of her desk with a frown.

"I wish I knew Mr Hanna" Hetty responded softly, her tone and posture confirming to Sam that he most definitely should be worried.

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"This is where you live?" Andrei asked in surprise.

"I like to move a lot" Callen responded with a sigh. His head was still pounding and his stomach churned as he looked at the modest house in front of him.

"You want me to help you in?" the Russian asked, as he noticed the trembling to the other man's hands.

"No I'm good. I'll see you tomorrow" Callen replied as he eased his aching frame out of the car and headed towards the safe house that he had passed off as his home. He listened for the roar of the engine to ensure the other man had left before he made his way through the front door and into the lounge. Staggering as he walked he just managing to press the panic button in the hall before he slumped down to the ground- unconscious before he hit the floor.

End Chapter Six

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	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Thank you so much for your reviews- you are all amazing! Sorry that I left you with a cliffhanger- I know I am very cruel!

Chapter Seven

Hetty looked up in alarm as the red box flashed up on her cell phone- she was well aware of the location that the alert referred to and conscious of which agent it was currently occupied by. She sighed to herself- she had a feeling of dread that she knew was not unfounded. Silently she collected her side arm and handbag. Mind made up she pulled on her jacket and headed out to her jag, without speaking to anyone she drove quickly to her target location- not daring to take a direct route as she had no wish to place her agent at any more risk than he already was. A mere thirty minutes later she was pulling onto the drive outside of the small complex. Stepping out of her car she looked around her carefully, before stepping inside the main entrance hall. Her heart sped up at what she saw in front of her.

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"Eric, have you seen Hetty?" Sam questioned as he stepped into Ops.

"Not since first thing no" Eric replied, flicking through files as he tried to gather further information on their latest case.

"Has Callen been in yet?" Sam asked, he hadn't seen his partner for a full day now and he was starting to get worried as the younger man hadn't even checked in with him.

"No- no sign of him either" Eric replied, barely looking up from the screen.

"Can you pick up the signal from his phone?" the senior agent asked softly his request successfully getting the technical analyst's attention.

"You want me to track Callen's phone?" he clarified.

"If you can" Sam responded, his arms folded across his chest.

"Is something wrong?" Eric asked as he started typing into the computer.

"I hope not" Sam stated, hoping that his partner was just on a run of the mill information gathering job, although the churning in the pit of his stomach was telling him otherwise.

"Is he operational?" Eric asked, reading the concern on the other man's face.

"Not that I know of- but I suspect something is going on" Sam commented as he sat down beside the tech.

"His phone is registering as here Sam, so either Callen is also here, or he doesn't have his cell with him" Eric informed the agent softly. Sam nodded, tapping the slighter man on the back before he left ops- he headed to check in with the other pair of the team, determined to get to the bottom of whatever was going on with his partner.

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Hetty walked over to her fallen agent tentatively, he looked so still where he lay that she daren't even breath as she bent down beside him and felt for a pulse. His skin was cool and clammy to her touch and she felt the faint flutter of an erratic heartbeat beneath her fingers. She looked over the position of the young man and after checking his airway was clear she took her cell from her bag and dialled ops. Eric answered almost immediately.

"Eric I need an ambulance to safe house 72 foxtrot" she told him quickly, cutting in before he could ask any questions. "It is linked to an active op Mr Beale- now ambulance please" she told him. She heard him tapping tapping away before he spoke.

"Ambulance is ten minutes out Hetty" he told her, his tone serious. "I hope he's ok" he finished, putting two and two together and jumping to the conclusion of who the ambulance was for.

"Not a word to anybody Mr Beale- not until I say so and that includes Mr Hanna- am I clear?" Hetty stated firmly.

"Crystal" Eric responded softly. He sighed as he disconnected the call- Sam would kill him if he found out he knew and hadn't said anything, but somehow the thought of being on the wrong side of the Ops manager scared him more.

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The ten minutes it took for the ambulance to arrive felt like an eternity to the ops manager as her lead agent remained firmly unconscious with not even a flicker of movement from him. The young agent had always been like a son to her- more than he ever knew and she couldn't bear the thought of life without him in it. She literally breathed in relief at the arrival of the EMTs.

"How long has he been like this?" the paramedic asked her softly as he set his kit bag down beside the collapsed agent.

"He text me about an hour ago" Hetty stated adopting a well-practiced Russian accent.

"What's his name?" he asked her as he attached an oxygen mask over the unconscious man's face and cutting through his shirt to get access to his chest. Callen, now laid on his back, looked as white as death and his face was covered in a thin sheen of sweat.

"Demetri" Hetty answered without hesitation- Callen was an experienced agent and dedicated to the core and she knew that he would not want to risk the operation if it could be helped. The medical man nodded noting down the readings from the heart monitor and blood pressure cuff onto the chart that he held.

"Does he have any allergies or illnesses?"

"No, nothing" Hetty responded, watching as the NCIS agent was loaded onto a gurney and into an awaiting ambulance. "Is it ok if I follow you?" she asked, taking her role as concerned mother seriously.

"Of course ma'am. If you want to lock up we will get him settled and you can follow behind" he answered her kindly. She nodded her thanks before heading back into the house to collect her bag and secure the premises. She shook her head at this concerning twist and dialled Eric once more from her cell.

"Mr Beale I need you to check if anyone has been delving into a name- the man in question is Demetri Norkovski- if anyone has been poking into files about him I need to know about it" she instructed.

"Right away" Eric responded, abandoning his current work and typing in all of the relevant details.

"Keep me updated" Hetty requested softly, stepping out of the door and walking towards her beloved Jag. Within minutes she was in it and following behind the ambulance as quickly as she could.

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An hour later and Callen was settled in a private room with Hetty at his side. He was still yet to regain consciousness and was hooked up to an IV, a blood pressure cuff and an array of monitors- an oxygen mask covering most of his handsome face. The doctor had shown immediate concern and predicted some sort of poison or drug had made its way into the man's system- however blood test results were still awaited- so all that the ops manager could do was sit beside her agent and wait.

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Sam paced up and down the bull pen, his partner was still yet to show, and he had not seen hide nor hair of Hetty all day either. He had once more questioned Eric on his friend's whereabouts and the analyst had been evasive to say the least- something was up and he didn't like not knowing what was going on- particularly when it concerned his partner. He sighed as he headed up to Ops once more, this time determined to get some answers.

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Hetty looked up as the doctor came back into the room.

"Mrs Norkovski, your son's bloodwork has come back. It appears that he has been overdosed on Tamazepam- the levels that are still present show that your son is very lucky to be alive. I have never seen such a large quantity of Benzodiazepine in someone" the doctor explained.

"What happens now?" Hetty asked anxiously, wondering why someone would have overdosed Callen in such a way.

"Well there is a course of treatment, however usually it serves to make a patient's condition worse so at this time I don't propose that we use it. What I do suggest is treating the symptoms and keeping him closely monitored. The drug itself acts as a sedative and I assume that is why it is in his system- that explains why he is yet to come round. I have ordered repeat bloods for in two hours' time to establish how quickly the levels are reducing that should give us an indication of how long it should be until he wakes up" the kindly doctor explained gently.

"Will he suffer any after effects?" Hetty asked in concern.

"It is very uncommon for there to be after effects or long term repercussions. In the short term there may be slurred speech and confusion, but it is best to wait until Demetri wakes up" the doctor reassured the obviously worried woman in front of him. "There is a cafeteria on the third floor if you would like to get yourself some dinner- your son will be fine" he told her with a friendly smile as he got to his feet and headed on to his next patient. Hetty shook her head softly, what had Callen got himself into now?

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Eric finished up the last of the requested checks before dialling Hetty's number to update her.

"What have you got Mr Beale?" Hetty answered by way of greeting.

"You were right Hetty, extensive checks have been conducted on this male. His financials have been gone through with a fine tooth comb, his prints have been run through every database imaginable and all of his records have been checked- Hetty whoever has done this have done a very detailed and thorough job" Eric explained.

"Did it all stand up to the scrutiny?" Hetty asked in a whisper.

"As far as I can tell yes- and Callen's cover is still intact" Eric responded, correctly guessing the true identity of the man he had been digging in to.

"Thank you Mr Beale" Hetty responded in relief, unsurprised that the intelligent Tech had worked out who they were talking about.

"How is he Hetty?" Eric asked quietly.

"He's alive Mr Beale, and will hopefully recover quickly" Hetty responded, suddenly feeling very tired.

"Can I tell Sam? He is worried sick" Eric requested carefully.

"Agent Hanna will be told when he needs to be- for now we have not yet reached that time" Hetty replied, her tone leaving no room for argument. She disconnected the call before she could change her mind. With one last glance at her poorly agent she headed upstairs to get herself a cup of tea.

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Hetty had been gone for less than an hour, yet when she returned she could sense a change in the room. She moved closer to the bed and was relieved to see glassy blue eyes staring back at her.

"Hetty?" Callen whispered weakly as he caught sight of the familiar woman.

"Shh now Mr Callen- I am here and you are going to be just fine" she soothed him. "What do you remember?" she asked softly, noticing the tension in his forehead as a sure sign of a bad headache.

"Andrei slipped something into my drink- the next thing I remember was waking up in a strange room feeling like I had a rough night" he told her stopping to take a deep breath and close his eyes against the roll of nausea that rushed over him. "Andrei took me home and I don't remember anything else. I think they were going through my phone and backstopping" Callen finished, exhausted just from speaking.

"He went through every single record that exists on your alias- we are confident that your backstopping held up" Hetty responded. Callen nodded tiredly, grateful to know that the mission wasn't a failure.

"Am I here as Demetri?" Callen asked, his eyes still closed.

"Yes, and I am your mother" Hetty responded with a smile. Callen's mouths turned up slightly at the edges in a weak smile.

"Sam?" he asked softly.

"Has no knowledge of any of today's events- and that is how it will remain" she responded. Callen nodded again, before allowing an exhausted slumber to overtake him.

End Chapter Seven

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	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Thank you for your continual reviews- I really appreciate it! Please keep the reviews coming and I will keep posting updates!

So sorry for the delay in update- I have been way too busy with work, but I will be more regular now I promise! Happy new year everyone!

Chapter Eight

Callen woke, feeling as though he was being watched. His instincts were correct as usual and as his exhausted blue eyes flickered open he saw the man stood beside him. He blinked to clear his vision.

"Have you come to finish the job?" he asked, his tone laced with sarcasm despite the exhaustion.

"Demetri I am so sorry- I never meant for this to happen" Andrei replied, sitting down beside the bed.

"What are you doing here Andrei?" Callen asked tiredly, closing his eyes against the pounding in his skull.

"When you weren't answering your cell I swung by your place to check you were ok, your neighbour told me about you being taken to hospital. Ivor is fuming with me" he explained, his voice laced with remorse.

"I am not very happy with you either" Callen responded drily. "What about the next meet?" he asked, suddenly remembering.

"Relax I postponed it until tomorrow- I was hoping you would be feeling up to coming with me" Andrei replied, pleased that his protégé appeared to still be interested in the deal.

"Break me out of here and I am good to go" Callen responded quietly. He knew that Hetty would have his hide, but this was too important.

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"You seen G?" Sam asked Kensi as he stepped through the doors.

"Good morning to you too Sam" she replied sarcastically. "And no, I haven't seen Callen yet" she added.

"I haven't seen him for three days Kensi" Sam stated, his voice heavy with worry as he spoke. Kensi nodded.

"We need to speak with Hetty" she stated, her own concern growing for the team leader.

"What's happening campers?" Deeks greeted as he threw his kit bag down on his desk.

"Callen is a no show again" Kensi informed him.

"Where's Hetty?" the detective asked, knowing that the ops manager knew something about whatever was going on with the senior agent.

"Also no sign" Kensi responded with a sigh.

"I've had enough of this" Sam muttered, turning on his heel and heading up the stairs to the Ops room. Kensi and Deeks exchanged a glance before following the large man to join the technicians.

"Sam- don't even start" Eric begged as he saw the former Navy SEAL walking towards him.

"Eric, I know that you know what's going on with Callen" Sam stated warningly.

"Then you also know I am sworn to secrecy" the visibly worried tech responded. "Sam I can't- Hetty would have my job" he stated.

"Yes Mr Hanna I would" a new voice interjected into the conversation. "Now let's continue this in my office and you three leave the staff alone" Hetty instructed moving away and knowing that the team members would follow her. Sam sighed, but followed the ops manager wordlessly.

"Hetty what is going on? Where's Callen?" Sam asked, his tone easily portraying his fear for his friend.

"He is operational Mr Hanna" Hetty replied simply.

"Alone?" the seal questioned.

"Yes" Hetty replied simply.

"What is he working on?" Kensi asked, biting at her nail as her concerns were confirmed.

"That's classified Miss Blye" Hetty responded quickly.

"When will he be back?" Deeks asked his voice soft.

"That is also classified Mr Deeks" Hetty stated, locking a firm glance on the detective.

"Is G ok Hetty?" Sam asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Mr Callen will be just fine" she commented, skirting around the question- an action not missed by any of the team members, who each felt their fear escalate at the lack of a clear answer. Sam nodded, knowing that was as much as they were going to get from the seasoned ops manager.

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"You sure you are up to this?" Andrei asked the other man in concern.

"I am fine" Callen replied, although he didn't even believe himself. He eased himself down into the awaiting car and closed his eyes trying to put his game face on.

"The doctor didn't seem to think so" Andrei stated as he started the engine.

"Doctors worry too much" Callen stated, and the other man laughed lightly at the comment.

"Ok- we are meeting the contact at one so you have time to get changed" the Russian stated as he drove towards the house that he had dropped the younger man at. Callen nodded, glad that he had the foresight to drop off a couple of suits and suits as well as some other items of clothing. A mere ten minutes later and Callen was walking into his cover house, stepping through the door he disabled the unset alarm- knowing that Hetty would pick up on the signal.

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Hetty clucked in approval as she saw the flash on the screen, so Mr Callen was back in business, it was time to progress this case and get her lead agent back where he belonged- where she could keep an eye on him. She sighed as once more she picked up the phone and hit the speed dial for the director- he needed to know that they were back in the game.

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Callen placed his trusty SIG in the waist band of his jeans, his wallet in his jacket pocket he pulled the suit jacket on- checking his collar in the mirror. If you ignored the still fading bruising to his face and the pallor of his skin, he looked just fine. Tapping out a couple of the pain killers, he dry swallowed before heading out to the lounge to join Andrei where he waited.

"You ready?" the Russian asked taking in the younger man's appearance.

"Yep" Callen muttered as he headed for the door, Andrei followed behind wordlessly watching as the other man set the alarm and locked up. "Where are we heading?" Callen asked lightly as he took his place in the passenger seat.

"Providence" Andrei replied, Callen nodded- he had heard good things about it and knew the price tag was ordinarily out of his reach on his NCIS pay check- one of the few benefits of being undercover. "This meeting is crucial to the deal" Andrei elaborated. "Our buyer is a Russian native who settled in LA itself a few years ago" he continued.

"Anyone I will have heard of?" Callen asked, his tone relaxed.

"I doubt it" Andrei stated, and the rest of the journey was passed in silence.

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"It's got to be something LA based" Deeks stated out of the blue.

"What makes you say that?" Kensi asked sipping at her smoothie.

"Well it will have been something that he has been working on a while, after work and at weekends I should imagine, so it can't be anything too far afield" he reasoned.

"Shaggy is right" Sam agreed deep in thought. "He was definitely working something the other night- I found his ID on the kitchen counter. Plus his cell phone was locked in his locker and I'll bet it still is" Sam concluded.

"What could he be working on that local and us not be involved?" Kensi questioned the logic of their findings.

"I have no idea, but whatever it is it has got Hetty worried, and I don't like that one bit" Sam commented.

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Callen followed behind as the two men were led to their table, the person they were meeting already sat at the table waiting. Callen looked for any clue as to his identity but from the stocky shoulders and grey hair he could see- he had no idea who it was.

"Demetri take a seat" Andrei gestured to the right, Callen moved and stood near the seat as indicated. He looked up and instantly pulled his mask back into place, disguising the panic he felt at who they were meeting. "Demetri I would like you to meet Arkady, Arkady this is our latest employee Demetri" Andrei introduced the two.

"Ah Demetri- it is good to see you again" the former KGB agent responded with a knowing grin.

"Arkady- you are looking well" Callen replied, looking the older man square in the eye as he spoke.

"That is more than I can say for you" Arkady parried. Callen nodded, unable to argue the point as he knew he didn't look his best.

"Ah you two do know each other- how?" Andrei questioned in surprise.

"Old friends from Moscow" Callen responded, hoping that his words were true and he could still count on the old friendship.

End Chapter Eight

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	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

Thank you for the reviews- I hope that you like the guest appearance from Arkady- couldn't possibly leave him out ;-)

Chapter Nine

Callen breathed a sigh of relief as the lunch meeting finally drew to a close, Andrei seemingly happy with the outcome.

"Come on Demetri, I will drive you home before you fall down" he offered, looking at the younger man in concern. Callen couldn't deny his exhaustion and gratefully eased his weary frame into the passenger seat of the car.

"When do you next need me?" he asked with his eyes closed, hoping that he would have a few days to catch up on some sleep and his day job. He knew full well that his partner had to be worried sick by this point.

"Ivor is out of the country until Wednesday evening, so I will call you on Thursday" Andrei responded, realising that the younger man needed a break, and willing to allow him it. Callen nodded, relieved. That gave him two whole days to recover, and he would make good use of them, updating Hetty in full and finding out what the team had managed to uncover from the other side of the investigation. Before he knew it he was outside of the safe house and waving farewell to the other man. Too tired to even contemplate making his way to the office or home he settled for firing off a quick text to Hetty, before laying down on the bed for some much needed sleep.

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Hetty released a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding as she saw the text appear on her cell phone. Relieved that her agent was out of harm's way, for now at least, she poured herself a cup of tea and allowed the tension to drain from her shoulders. After a few sips of tea she got to her feet and moved towards the bull pen.

"Mr Hanna- I have an errand for you to run" she told the senior agent softly, handing him a slip of paper and sending him on his way.

"Is Callen ok?" Kensi asked as the senior team member.

"I am sure that he is fine Miss Blye" Hetty replied noncommittally, before heading back to her office to update the director.

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Sam muttered to himself as he drove through the gates of the address Hetty had provided to him, the file of information on the seat beside him. He had been hoping he would get a bit closer to finding out whatever it was that was keeping his partner away. He couldn't help but feel that he had been given this task to get him out of the way- and he didn't like it one bit.

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Callen felt a hundred times better after the few hours' sleep that he managed, he stretched as he rolled out of the bed and headed towards the small en suite to get a shower. Within ten minutes he was back in the bedroom and pulling on his jeans and a shirt, his gun safely stowed in his waist band- he headed out of the door. It took him over an hour to complete the fifteen minute journey as his paranoia was in full swing. Finally he walked into Ops and headed straight to Hetty's office.

"You wanted to see me?" he stated softly, and keen wise eyes locked on his.

"Mr Callen- you are late" she stated with a smile as he sat down in front of her desk. He looked over his shoulder to the banks of desks.

"Where are the team?" he asked, confused to see the office relatively empty.

"Mr Hanna is following a lead I gave him- Miss Blye and Mr Deeks are in Ops" she replied. "How are you feeling?" she asked, not expecting a genuine answer.

"I'm fine Hetty" he replied brushing off the question as expected. "I do however have several updates for you" he continued, before filling her in on all of the events since his release from hospital.

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Sam grumbled to himself and he drove into the yard of the office, he had known the enquiry would have been a waste of time before he had even set off- and he had been right. He sighed as he walked into the office, stopping in his tracks as he saw who was sat in Hetty's office talking to the Ops Manager.

"What the hell….." he muttered to himself as he wandered across. "G?" he queried, taking in his best friend's appearance in horror. He had never seen his partner looking so pale or shaky before and it worried him on a number of levels.

"Hey Sam" Callen greeted, his tone normal as if he hadn't just dropped off the face of the earth for a few days without a word to his partner.

"You good G?" the larger man asked with his arms folded and his eyebrow quirked.

"Just the flu" Callen replied with a grin, he knew that his partner wouldn't believe such a poor excuse, but there was no way he was going to deceive his partner so there was no point in going to the effort of making up a story.

"The flu huh? You look like shit man" the navy seal stated, not pulling any punches. "You back with us now? Or should I expect you to disappear on us again?" he questioned softly, knowing that Hetty would not be happy with him.

"Mr Hanna, why don't you make your partner a coffee or a nice cup of tea and he will be over to join you in a moment" Hetty intercepted. Sam sighed, before doing as he was told- knowing better than to argue with the seasoned operative.

"How much does he know?" Callen asked quietly, once his partner was out of earshot.

"Nothing Mr Callen- and it needs to remain that way" Hetty responded, her voice and expression leaving no room for argument.

"How's the FBI agent?" he asked with a sigh, yet another element of this mission that was weighing heavily on him.

"She will make a full recovery Mr Callen- don't dwell on it, the director is happy that you had no other options open to you" she reassured him gently. Callen nodded, not wanting to allow his mind to drift there- he got to his feet and headed over to his desk.

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"Don't start with me Sam" Callen muttered as he walked over to his desk, not missing the glance that his partner shot his way as soon as he moved over towards him.

"You sure you're good man?" the seal questioned.

"I'm ok Sam" the other agent replied as he sat at his desk. "You going to bring me up to speed?" he prompted sitting back and allowing his partner to fill in the gaps of the investigation. Half an hour later and approaching footsteps announced the arrival of the other members of the team.

"Callen! Thank God! I thought you had abandoned us!" Kensi gushed as he enveloped the team leader in her arms. "Are you sick? You feel hot and look like death" she told him, looking at his bloodshot eyes as she spoke.

"Just the flu" he responded, looking away to prevent any further conversation. "I have got to head out- I have a lead to follow" he told them, getting to his feet.

"A lead? You just got back" Deeks stated in confusion.

"I am a highly trained government agent, detective- of course I have already got a lead" Callen responded with a wink- teasing the younger man and deflecting any further questioning he grabbed his jacket and headed out to the parking lot.

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Callen took a deep breath as he drove through the gates and up the driveway like he had done many times before- this time was different. This time he didn't know if he was visiting friend or foe- he could only hope.

"Why if it isn't Mr Callen- or should that be Demetri?" a smiling Arkady greeted him as he stepped through the door.

"I think we need to talk" Callen responded quietly.

"Da! I think we do" the big Russian responded, leading the way further into the house where the two could speak in private.

End Chapter Nine

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	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Thank you so much for the reviews! Please keep them coming, it is the only way I know that I am on the right lines with the plot- pretty please review!

Chapter Ten

Callen nursed the vodka as he sat opposite his old friend. His gut was telling me that the big Russian wouldn't betray him, yet his heart was stinging from a lifetime of betrayal and couldn't fully allow himself to relax.

"Explain" he stated softly to the other man. Arkady sighed to himself before chuckling lightly.

"Ah G, so untrusting" he stated with a grin.

"Usually with good reason" the agent replied his eyes flashing with fire as the Russian skirted around the issue at hand.

"I will not argue that one with you" Arkady agreed, his smile disappearing from his face- he was all too aware of how often his friend had been hurt and betrayed in the past and he had no desire to add to it. "I am working for an old employer on a freelance basis" he explained, his tone unusually serious as he spoke. "I was approached by an old handler of mine- contacts in the Ukraine have raised concerns that a group of well-known Russian nationals have laid their hands on a lot of fire power and are willing to sell to the highest bidder. The group in question were wanted for arms dealing throughout Eastern Europe, and despite being arrested always managed to get away with their crimes" Kolcheck explained, for once sounding frustrated by the lack of justice as he saw it. "They upset a high ranking officer within the KGB when they had a mini war with a rival firm and his son was caught in the cross fire. He tracked them to LA, knowing I live here he contacted me and asked for my help" he explained, downing his Vodka in one slug before refilling his glass. "Now the question remains, what is your involvement?" he asked the agent in front of him.

"Simple, the arms have been stolen from our military amongst others putting it slap bang in our jurisdiction" Callen replied, sipping his drink thoughtfully. "I started with this gig three months ago, initially on evenings and he odd weekend working my way up- the big break only came a week ago" he responded, vague in his information, but trusting his old friend enough to know the basic facts- if he had wanted to cause him harm he could have outed him at the restaurant.

"I assume your partner knows nothing of this?" the intuitive operative asked.

"No, it has been out of work's time" Callen responded.

"So where do we go from here? Best case for both of us would be for me to get the deal- the arms would not make it to any terrorist organisation and you would be able to let it run longer- better chance of convictions" Arkady reasoned.

"Or let Asad win the deal and kill two birds with one stone by following the weapons" Callen argued.

"That my boy is for you to decide. Just remember this is a dangerous game G- don't cross them" the KGB agent warned, a flash of concern crossing his face before once more being masked by a grin. "Would be terrible for Mr Hanna to have to break in a new partner"

"I will bear it in mind" Callen stated with a grin, before turning and leaving, feeling better than he had since he had started his current mission.

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Hetty flicked through the updated files, absorbing as much information as possible. She felt herself sliding into a quandary- the op was reaching a critical point; she could feel it to her bones. She couldn't help but feel that now was the time to bring the team up to speed with the mission that their team leader had so far managed by himself. She knew that none of the team could go under with him, but just to have the extra security of them being aware and not too far away if and when they were needed. She knew that the team leader would buck against her bringing the others up to speed, but that was mostly as he would always work alone if he had the choice despite the fact that he did recognise the team as the closest thing he had to a family. She looked up as the subject of her thoughts stepped back through the door, and approached her.

"Did you clarify the position?" she asked with a quirked eye brow.

"Yes, I will update my report this evening" Callen replied softly, rubbing his face as exhaustion crept up on him.

"You will do no such thing Mr Callen" Hetty stated emphatically. "You will go and have a good meal, preferably with your partner and then you will go and get some much needed rest- you can complete your report tomorrow and formulate a plan for the next stages of the mission" the ops manager informed him, her tone leaving no room whatsoever for argument. Callen sighed, knowing when he was well and truly beaten he nodded and got to his feet without further word.

"Fancy a bite?" he offered to his partner as he leant against his desk.

"You buying?" Sam asked with a grin, Callen nodded with an answering smile. Sam got to his feet and grabbed his jacket- taking in his partner's tired and pale appearance he followed his friend through the door. "You buy, I'll drive" the older man offered lightly, relieved when his friend didn't argue.

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The two partners went to a classic steak house well away from any of Callen's undercover contacts.

"So how's the flu G?" Sam asked softly once the two senior agents had ordered their meals.

"Better by the hour Sam" Callen replied with a grin, his partner was no fool- but Callen had spent a lifetime protecting secrets, even from his friends and family.

"At least your eye is looking better" the former seal commented, knowing that getting any information from his partner was unlikely.

"I always heal fast" Callen replied with a grin.

"Sure ya do G- supernatural huh?" Sam stated with a smile- knowing that as much as his partner would claim he was invincible- he was just as breakable as anyone else. Callen grinned in response. "You sure you're ok G?" Sam asked, turning seriously.

"I'm fine Sam- starving and tired, but I'm ok" the team leader responded, being partially honest with his friend. The two looked up as their food arrived, Callen felt his stomach churn at the smell of the steak, but somehow managed to eat half of his portion.

"You want a ride home?" the former seal asked his friend softly.

"Please" Callen confirmed, too tired to even think about getting in a cab. Settling the bill the two agents headed straight to the challenger and Sam set off towards Callen's house. "Thanks Sam" the smaller man stated, his head leant back and his eyes closed. Just as the partners stopped outside of his house, and the seasoned agent walked up the short path to his house his cell phone chirped in his pocket. Sighing as he registered it was his undercover phone, he answered it promptly.

"Da?" he greeted, maintaining his cover, not missing his partner's burning gaze as he spoke.

"Demetri? There has been a development, Ivor needs to see you immediately" Andrei stated, his tone serious. Callen sighed as he leant against the wall, suddenly exhausted beyond measure.

"Where do I need to be?" he asked with a sigh that he made no attempt to disguise.

"The house, quickly Demetri, he is not in a good mood" the Russian stated. "Do you need me to give you a ride?" he asked.

"No, I am not home- I will call a cab" Callen replied, his accent maintained throughout, he knew all too well that a tiny slip could cost a case or worse still a life.

"I will see you soon" Andrei finished the call. Callen slid the phone back into his pocket, and with a final wave to his partner headed into the house to get changed and call a cab. Fifteen minutes later, text sent to Hetty, he was in a taxi and on his way, via several changes, to his meeting- hoping that it wouldn't be his last.

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Sam drove home quickly, his mind distracted with thoughts of his partner. He hadn't missed the mysterious phone call that his friend had received, he just wished that he was in on whatever the case was. He arrived home in no time and was locking his car just as his phone rang. Showing Hetty as the caller he answered immediately.

"Hetty? Do we have a new case?" the former seal asked as he stepped through his front door.

"No Mr Hanna, it's an established case that I have decided to read you in on- meet me at Ops as soon as you can" she instructed before disconnecting, Sam relocked his door and headed back to his car having no doubt that the ops manager was currently calling the remaining members of the team to give them a similar message.

End Chapter Ten

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	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews! I am really pleased to see that people are still reading this! Please keep leaving your reviews!

Chapter Eleven

Sam drove quickly towards Ops, keen to find out exactly what it was the ops manager had to tell them. He knew in his gut that it was about whatever Callen was working on without him. He couldn't help the uneasy feeling that rushed through him, if Hetty was reading them in then there had to have been a development- one that meant she felt the rest of the team were required, which couldn't be good. He sighed as suddenly he felt compelled to drive faster.

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"What's going on Andrei?" Callen questioned as he arrived at the house, his tone firm as he spoke and showing no nerves.

"Ivor hasn't told me, he has summoned us both" Andrei stated, his own voice laced with fear. "Usually it is nothing good" he added, biting at his nail as he spoke. Callen nodded, the last test he had faced still clear in his mind as he thought of the FBI agent, his stomach churning at what he had been forced to do- and unable to think of doing anything similar again.

"Let's get it over with" Callen stated, gesturing the other man forward and following him into the room to meet their fate.

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"What do you have to tell us?" Sam asked as the three operatives sat around Hetty's desk.

"As you have all surmised Mr Callen has been working solo on an operation. He has been undercover as Demetri Norkovski for the last three months. During that time he has infiltrated a Russian gang of arms dealers and has made his way through the ranks to now have access to the leader of the organisation. The leader is Ivor Gordenskov who you are all already aware of" Hetty explained softly.

"The black eye?" Sam asked.

"Callen was caught in the warehouse explosion a week ago, that is how he sustained his injuries" the canny ops manager stated.

"And the flu?" the former seal asked, knowing that it certainly wasn't the flu.

"Callen's original contact, Andrei Bolcheck, was instructed to arrange some checks on Mr Callen. He went through every imaginable element of his backstopping and in the process drugged Callen in order to do so. He was overzealous in the quantity and over dosed him"

"What? He could have been killed!" Sam stated angrily. "Did he even get checked out?" he asked, knowing full well his partner's aversions to hospitals.

"It was something that could not have been anticipated Mr Hanna, and Mr Callen did receive medical attention" Hetty stated matter of factly.

"Where is he now?" Kensi asked, registering the dangerous situation that their team leader was embroiled in.

"He was summoned by Gordenskov a short time ago- I am unsure if he will be able to get away" Hetty informed them, realising that Callen may well be indisposed for some time. "It has taken a lot of work for Mr Callen to get this far- we couldn't risk anything compromising this mission, you have been read in now as the situation develops" Hetty told them as she handed each of them a file. "That contains as much information as you require, take them away and we will brief in one hour" she instructed. Each of them got to their feet and headed to their respective desks to do just that.

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"I am very disappointed in you Andrei" Ivor stated standing next to the other man. "I trusted you to secure the highest price for the goods. Asad has offered a good price, and the Russian is adamant he will only deal with Demetri" he ranted. "You were supposed to set the two bidders against each other- get a good deal so we can move on, and instead the offer is $100,000 lower than I could get back in Russia. You have let me down Andrei" he stated, before turning his attention to Callen. "And you Demetri- you have made quite an impression on both of them, and then I hear that you and Kolcheck are old allies from a time in Russia" he shouted, yelling at the agent- straight in his face.

"I did not know who we were meeting- otherwise I would have told you I knew him" Callen reasoned, his tone level and not stepping back from the obviously angry man.

"Andrei did not tell you who you were meeting?" he questioned, looking in confusion between the two men. Callen remained silent, not willing to get Andrei in any further danger. "Why would you not tell him Andrei?" the boss asked- his tone dangerous as he spoke.

"I was following your instruction Ivor" Andrei responded hesitantly.

"I expected batter of you Andrei- if you weren't married to my daughter I would ensure that you were no longer breathing" Ivor told him, his voice barely above a whisper, but no less dangerous. "As for you" he stated- turning towards Callen. "I am still not sure about you- Kolcheck is former KGB and yet he knows you from Moscow- this concerns me to say the least" he commented.

"Demetri's background has been thoroughly checked Ivor" Andrei cut in, sticking up for the younger man, despite the obvious fear in his tone.

"If you have your concerns speak with Arkady, it is not my story to tell" Callen argued, not willing for Andrei to be hurt on his behalf.

"I will be keeping a close eye on you Andrei. Demetri- from here you are to handle the deal" Ivor stated "and you can punish Andrei, make sure he is uncomfortable for a long time to come" he instructed- a feral grin on his face as he spoke. Having issued his orders he turned and walked away.

Andrei looked across at Callen silently- knowing that neither of them could afford for the orders to be ignored.

"You have to do it Demetri" he stated softly.

"I can't do that Andrei" Callen argued.

"Do it or we will both be killed" the older Russian stated, his voice full of resignation. Callen shook his head, genuine emotion clouded his features. "Do it Demetri" Andrei whispered softly. Callen took a breath and then drew his gun from his waistband.

End Chapter Eleven

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	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

Sorry guys I know I am a continuously cruel sod to you all with the cliffhangers- just checking you are paying attention! Thank you so much for all of your amazing reviews, please keep them coming for me!

Chapter Twelve

"Jesus" Sam hissed as he finished reading the scant information within the file. He knew his partner and he knew exactly what the younger man was like- the file would only contain what the lead agent wanted it to- anything that was remotely emotive or didn't need to be in there would not feature.

"How could we not have known?" Kensi asked, equally as shocked as the senior agent.

"When it comes to G- you only ever know what he wants you to know" Sam stated in response, highlighting a feature of his partner that drove him crazy.

"This is crazy" Kensi muttered as she took in the words on the page. "This involving the FBI is vague to say the least" she commented lightly, not understanding how such a seemingly huge part of the investigation could be brushed over.

"Hetty told us that the FBI had lost an agent during the investigation, you don't think that is linked to Callen?" Deeks interjected, not missing the brief mention of the sister agency that Hetty had made.

"Callen wouldn't wipe out one of our own" Sam stated emphatically.

"Maybe not, Hetty didn't actually say the agent had died- Callen is a seasoned agent Sam, if it was the only way of saving their life then he may have injured them" Deeks reasoned and the two NCIS agents had to admit that the other man had a point.

"Let's get a coffee and then Hetty will be back" Kensi suggested, suddenly feeling very tired.

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Callen swallowed past the bile that rose in his throat, as much as Andrei was involved in arms dealing, and had potentially been party to many people losing their lives, he had developed a slight fondness towards the Russian. He was certain that his actions were out of love for his wife and loyalty to the family that he had married into- Callen couldn't help but like the man and to see what he had been forced to do to him churned his stomach.

"You had to Demetri, otherwise it would have cost both of our lives" Andrei stated wincing from the pain.

"I am sorry Andrei" Callen told the other man as he helped him limp up the steps to his house.

"It was my fault, I know better than to upset Ivor" the other man commented with a sigh.

"What does your wife think of this?" Callen asked, confused that a woman could stand by and watch a man that she loved get continuously hurt by her father.

"She is as trapped in this as I am" the other man explained, his expression filled with sadness as he registered that his life would never be his own.

"Why don't you get out of it, leave?" Callen suggested, seeing a new opening in the case.

"There is no leaving from Ivor. I have no family left and nowhere else to go. If I ran he would find me and he would kill me- and probably my family here. I can't risk it Demetri. You need to be careful, the deeper in that you get the harder it is to get out" Andrei warned, closing his eyes against the wave of pain that coursed through him. Callen winced in sympathy as he registered the action, helping the man ease down onto the sofa.

"Don't worry, I can handle it" Callen stated with a smile.

"That's what I thought, that's what everyone thinks- until Ivor no longer needs them, or feels they have let him down in some way. Please Demetri, you are a good boy, be careful" Andrei warned, and something in his tone made Callen hesitate slightly before nodding and leaving the older man to rest.

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"What's the deal with the FBI agent?" Deeks asked the Ops manager as the four reconvened.

"I assume you have read the report Mr Deeks?" Hetty responded with a quirked eyebrow, at his nod she continued. "Then you know as much as I do about that facet of the case" she stated, much to the surprise of the three team members.

"Where do we go from here?" Sam questioned softly.

"Now we wait for your partner to return and update us on the latest status of the case. From there we look at potential openings for your involvement, although I suspect that your roles will be support rather than as active members" she commented with an air of frustration.

"When are we looking at the takedown?" Kensi asked softly.

"That will depend on which avenue the deal goes down. If Arkady remains involved then the takedown will occur as soon as the deal is complete, however if Asad takes possession of the arms then we will allow it to run and trace the arms to their final destination in the interest of national security. However irrespective Mr Callen's involvement will cease as soon as the deal has been completed" Hetty explained.

"Which route are we favouring?" Kensi asked, having her own preference.

"For Mr Callen's safety I would personally prefer Mr Kolcheck to remain involved- this ensures that he has some support on the inside, however in the interest of intelligence gathering allowing the transaction to be fully completed would be the best option. It is Mr Callen's call" she confirmed, leaving no room for argument, however inadvertently raising the concern levels of everyone present.

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Callen took a deep steadying breath as he left the other man's home, his nerves were tingling the deeper into his role that he got and with every passing day the line between the agent and role he was playing became thinner and he could barely remember which side of it he was supposed to be on. He walked towards his car, his mind whirling with plans for the coming days- yet his gaze darting all around him, looking out for possible threats. He thumbed his phone in his pocket, knowing that he should be checking in with ops, but shadows in his mind prevented him from doing so. It had been a while since he had been on a long term deep undercover op without the safety net of his team around him. Five years ago he had nobody that he would honestly call a friend, certainly no one that he trusted, yet since he had been partnered with Sam he had gained a family- he didn't know if he could bear them to see him for what he truly was. There was a reason he was so very good at his job, he was able to morph himself into whoever he wanted, whenever he wanted- to achieve whatever needed doing. He couldn't afford to let the façade slip- no matter what, it would cost him his life.

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"When is he due to check in?" Sam asked concerned by the lack of contact from his partner.

"Two hours ago" Hetty replied softly, her own fear for the agent growing.

"Do you have any way of contact?" Kensi asked, her chin rested on her hand as she considered ways of checking on their team leader.

"I know where he is staying" Hetty stated with a sigh, getting to her feet and moving over to wardrobe, knowing that the team would follow- they always did.

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Callen sat on the edge of the couch, his suit jacket still covering his broad shoulders-despite the blood that stained it, as he found himself deep in thought. The time was coming where decisions needed to be made. He had to decide which way to run things- did he go with Arkady and have the backup, or did he pursue the arms further and allow the deal with Asad to run. He could feel the exhaustion creeping up behind his eyes, he had to make sure that the team weren't brought in on the mission, it was tiring enough looking after his own welfare- he couldn't risk having to look out for them too. He sighed as he got to his feet and headed to the shower, keen to wash the stench of the day away. As he stripped off his shirt his cell chirped from his trouser pocket. With a sigh he scooped it out and read the message quickly.

_Pleasing work today Demetri, keep this up and you will go far. Nice job on the discomfort factor_

Callen felt the bile rising in his throat as he read the message, Andrei was stuck in his life- and Callen felt a degree of sympathy for that- sure he had been forced to injure people on undercover gigs before, but this one was beginning to get out of hand.

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Kensi glanced around her, keen to make sure that she wasn't being watched- she would never forgive herself if her action caused any harm to befall her team leader. Callen meant the world to her, he was the glue that held the team together and each and every one of them would go to the ends of the earth for him. Satisfied that she had no tail she walked up the steps and knocked on the door. After a few moments when no reply was forthcoming, she drew the keys from her handbag and unlocked the door, pushing it gently open.

"I'm going in Sam" she stated softly for the benefit of the wire that she wore.

"Take it steady Kensi- just in case" Sam urged her from his position across the street. Kensi nodded almost unperceivably and headed further into the premise.

"Demetri?" she called out softly, moving through the room, not daring to use his real name in case he had company. She had barely made it two more steps before she felt a pressure at the back of her head and heard the distinct click of a safety catch being removed.

End Chapter Twelve

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	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

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Chapter Thirteen

Kensi stood stock still as the pressure against her head increased, the perpetrator out of her line of vision. The man spoke in a language that she didn't understand, but believed to be Russian- the intonation familiar.

"Demetri?" she questioned softly, not willing to ruin his cover if he was not alone. She felt him tense behind her, and a moment's hesitation followed before he replied in a croaking voice.

"Kensi?" he asked, coming to his sense.

"It's me" she responded carefully, stepping forward to move the barrel of the SIG from her head. "Are you ok?" she asked as she turned to see her team leader.

"Yeah, yeah sorry" he replied shaking himself back to reality. Kensi looked at him appraisingly, concerned by his clearly paranoid conduct. "What are you doing here?" he asked finally as he applied the safety to his weapon and holstered it.

"Hetty sent me" she stated simply headed to the kitchen and clicking the kettle on. He looked up in surprise.

"She read you in?" he asked, his tone laced with anger.

"She read us all in" Kensi confirmed, her worry escalating by the obvious undertones to his question. "She's worried about the developments" she stated carefully.

"I can handle the developments just fine" Callen responded huffily.

"I have no doubt, and I am sure that Hetty has no doubts either- but why handle it alone when you can have backup?" she questioned stirring the coffee that she had made for her friend.

"Why are you here?" he asked her again, rubbing his hands tiredly over his face.

"You missed your check in Callen- it was due over three hours ago. Hetty was worried, you have already landed in the hospital once" Kensi stated handing her team leader the steaming coffee and sitting down beside him with her own.

"I lost track of time" he told her, covering the vague answer with a sip of his coffee.

"As long as you are okay" the junior agent half questioned, not missing the slight trembling to her friend's hand.

"I'm fine. Wait there and I will get my cell, may as well pass the update to Hetty through you since you are here" he stated, placing the mug on the coffee table and heading to the bedroom. Once alone he leant against the dresser and took in deep breaths to steady his nerves. He knew that Kensi could see straight through him, it showed in her eyes- she had seen the flash within him despite his best attempts at covering it. He had held a gun to her head for Christ sake. He needed this mission to be over with- and soon.

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Hetty was pacing, if anyone had said as much she would have denied it- but she was still waiting an update from her team, and if it was one thing she hated it was being out of the loop. She knew full well that Mr Callen much preferred to work alone, for reasons that despite all of the years she had known him were still not clear to her. She glanced again at her watch, sighing that another hour had passed without word of her team.

"Hetty" Eric hollered from above her, dragging her out of her reverie. Wordlessly she made her way upstairs and was beside the tech in mere minutes.

"We have intercepted a message and we thought you should see it" Nell explained, gesturing at the screen in front of her. Hetty moved forward and quickly skimmed the contents, her arms folded across her chest.

"Eric get me the director" she instructed softly, the operation having taken another turn.

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"And you're sure that there is no way of getting one of us in with you?" Kensi questioned as she memorised the vague details her friend had provided her with.

"No, it would look too suspicious to introduce someone new at this stage" Callen responded. "Is Sam fretting?" he asked softly.

"He got in trouble with Hetty for trying to make Eric tell him what you were working on" Kensi told him, as she pulled her jacket on. Callen chuckled at the words, feeling slightly lighter to know that his team had his back- whether he wanted them to or not.

"Tell him I'm fine" he requested as he walked towards the door with his friend.

"You want me to lie to him?" Kensi challenged softly, her eyes locked onto those of her friend.

"Kensi…" Callen muttered warningly.

"I know I know" she sighed. "Please just look after yourself and don't miss another check in" she asked him quietly.

"I promise" he replied, and they both knew that he never used those words lightly. "Now get out of here before you blow my cover" he told her with a wink.

"See you soon Demetri" she whispered as she stepped out into the night and began her walk to the subway. Callen closed the door as she left, taking a deep breath he headed to bed, knowing full well that the next day was going to be a big one.

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Kensi headed straight to the locker room as soon as she returned to Ops. She knew her entire conversation with the team leader had been heard, but somehow actually repeating it to them felt like betraying his confidence. She couldn't shake the disturbing feeling that her friend was in trouble. She had seen the look in his eye as he spoke to her, had noticed the shaking of his hands- had felt him having to rein in his emotions as he held a gun to her head not knowing who she was. It all set alarm bells ringing in her head, yet she knew it was not her decision to make whether he remained in his current role or not. She splashed cold water over her face and tied her hair bag, taking a final breath to calm herself she turned and headed back into the main office- surprised to find it deserted. Looking around she headed up to Ops to find the rest of the team, her bad feeling increasing at seeing them all crowded around the smart table in discussion.

"Ah Miss Blye" Hetty greeted seriously. "There has been a disturbing development"

End Chapter Thirteen

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	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews, and alerts, favourites etc- I really do appreciate it. Sorry that I continue to be so cruel to you all, please keep reading and reviewing for me and please check out my other ongoing story 'Do They Know?'.

Chapter Fourteen

Callen crawled out of bed feeling as though he hadn't slept a wink. Slipping into the shower- he was dressed and ready for the day a mere ten minutes later. Forgoing breakfast and merely pouring himself a coffee he checked his cell phone, shaking his head as he caught sight of a text from his 'mom'.

_Demetri- are you still coming for Sunday dinner? _

He read quickly, sighing at the woman's persistence, he typed out his response.

_I might have to work ma_

He finished his coffee and rinsed out his mug, picking up his car keys he was out of the door and heading to pick Andrei up and it wasn't even seven am yet.

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Hetty shook her head as her phone beeped with a text, Callen was again distancing himself from the team, and there was no way she was going to allow him to get away with it- not on her watch.

_Why do you hurt your mother so?_

She smiled as she pressed send, knowing full well the reaction the message would bring out in her agent. She blew on her tea, sipping it carefully as she watched the steam billowing from it. The team had only left a matter of hours ago, each of them reeling from the update she had delivered the previous evening, and even more intent on concluding the case as quickly as possible. Now all she had to do was make sure that her lead agent was also in possession of the updated information.

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Callen ignored the chirp of the cell phone as he stopped outside of his contact's house. He jumped out and knocked on the door, disregarding the time. It took a few moments before Andrei finally managed to make it to the door, his face pale and his hands shaking.

"Andrei?" Callen queried lightly, not liking the appearance of the older man one bit.

"Demetri! Thank God!" Andrei stated, pushing the door open to allow the younger man to come in. "I was sure that Ivor had come for you!" he commented, leading the other man into the lounge.

"Why would he have come for me?" Callen questioned in confusion, as he sat down on the sofa.

"There are whispers that an undercover agent has been sent in to infiltrate the group- he is bringing in any one new" Andrei explained.

"He has already given me test after test! How can he still doubt my loyalty?" Callen seethed, his face conveying his anger at the suggestion.

"The fact that he has not taken you means that he hasn't doubted you Demetri. You have passed every test he has thrown at you- and now this proves that he has accepted you" Andrei explained, a smile gracing his otherwise pale and bruised face.

"Are we going to see him now?" Callen asked with a sigh.

"Yes I told him we would be there by eight" Andrei responded.

"Have you seen a doctor Andrei?" the agent asked in concern.

"I am fine Demetri- do not worry yourself. Come on, we don't want to be late" he prompted getting to his feet and moving slowly out of the house.

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"Have you managed to locate Arkady yet?" Sam asked the tech as he appeared on the steps.

"No his GPS hasn't moved, and he has not returned home since last night" Eric responded with a sigh, their concern for the former KGB agent increasing with every passing moment.

"Mr Callen needs to be made aware of the worrying development" Hetty stated in concern.

"I think he may already be aware" Nell interjected, pointing at the CCTV footage that was feeding in to Ops.

"Oh boy" Kensi whispered, watching as her friend yet again had his loyalty tested.

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Callen gasped as he stepped into the car park where the latest meet had been arranged, in front of him sat a bound and bruised Arkady Kolcheck.

"Arkady?" he questioned lightly, taking in his friend's appearance.

"Hello old friend" Arkady responded, his voice croaking as he saw the agent in front of him.

"What's going on?" Callen questioned the men stood close by.

"Arkady here isn't as he seems" one of them responded. "In fact he is working for a member of the KGB- he isn't as retired as he lead us to believe" he finished, his hand resting threatening on the big man's shoulder.

"He's been leaking information?" Callen queried.

"He has betrayed us all" Ivor interjected "Demetri you did such a good job last time- this is over to you to sort" he finished, before nodding at the rest of his team and the men piled into cars- leaving just the three. Callen sighed tiredly before moving towards the bound Arkady and dragging him to his feet.

"I am sorry Demetri" Arkady stated, his face rarely serious. Andrei opened the trunk of the car and assisted Callen in placing the large man in it and slamming it shut.

"I didn't expect this" Andrei stated. "Everyone in the business recommended him" he added in shock. Suddenly the man lurched forward, and only Callen's lightening quick reflexes prevented the man from falling to the floor.

"That's it Andrei, I am taking you to the hospital" the agent stated forcefully.

"You can't- we need to finish Kolcheck" the man commented shakily. Callen shook his head in argument.

"I will take you to the hospital, and then I will sort him" he offered, getting himself into the driver's seat and starting the ignition, leaving the Russian with little choice other than to follow.

"You are a good man Demetri" the other man stated, fastening his seat belt and sitting back in his chair. Callen tried to ignore the pang of guilt that coursed through him at the words.

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Callen dropped Andrei off at the ER and drove around the city before turning into a warehouse and opening the trunk of the car.

"Sure you don't want to drive around a little longer?" Arkady asked sarcastically as he panted to get his breath back. Callen raised his finger to his lips before quickly searching the larger man, unsurprised to find a listening device hidden in the jacket pocket.

"Shut up you bastard" Callen yelled in anger, throwing a punch at the older man's jaw, Arkady groaned as it struck.

"Demetri- please I am sorry" he stated, his voice trembling as the gravity of the situation made itself known. Callen shook his head in concern at the development, before taking out his SIG and firing two shots, watching as the Russian slumped to the floor.

End Chapter Fourteen

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	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

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Chapter Fifteen

Callen stepped forward and lifted the slumped figure under the arms, dragging him towards the trunk, and with a grunt of effort had the still form locked in the darkened space. Stopping a moment to straighten his jacket and take a deep breath, he moved forward and within minutes he had started the engine and set off. He drove for twenty minutes, zig-zagging through the streets as he watched his mirror carefully for any sign of a tail. When he was satisfied that he was clear he turned down an alley way, driving slowly within minutes he had driven into the garage at the end of the darkened area. He turned off the ignition and rested his head against the back of his seat, relieved to be out of the way. He eased his frame out of the car and pulled his cell from his pocket dialling a number from memory- relief surged through him when it was answered on the first ring.

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Hetty visibly jumped as her cell phone rang beside her- she answered quickly, knowing without looking who would be on the other end of the line.

"Demetri?" she queried softly, listening intently to the respond, she nodded lightly. "Leave it with me" she stated before disconnecting, and heading off into Ops to offer instruction. Within minutes the team had mobilised and the operation was moving quickly to avoid it being jeopardized.

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Without a backward glance Callen moved quickly through the streets, he had been careful- he just hoped careful enough. He knew that Hetty would know exactly what to do, the team wouldn't let him down- he just needed to make sure that he kept his cover. He headed straight to the subway and within minutes was miles away from the abandoned car and the contents of it's trunk. Within an hour he was back at the ER collecting Andrei and the two men were sharing a silent taxi ride back to Andrei's house. Callen helped the injured man into the lounge before pouring them both a measure of whiskey from the decanter on the side.

"Did you sort the little problem?" Andrei finally asked softly.

"Yes" Callen responded, downing the amber liquid in one gulp.

"I am sorry Demetri- I know that he was an old friend of yours" Andrei apologised as he sipped at his drink.

"It had to be done" Callen responded with a shrug. His mind whirling as he wondered whether the team had completed their side of the mission safely.

"Ivor will think highly of you for this Demetri- your future is very bright" the big Russian stated with a small grin raising his glass in the air towards his friend. Callen returned the gesture before slugging the newly filled contents back in one mouthful.

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Kensi skulked down the alleyway quickly, her gaze locked ahead, knowing that her partner had her back. Carefully she eased open the garage door and slipped inside. Noting the car exactly where it was supposed to be, she lifted the trunk to allow much needed air inside.

"It is about time" Arkady seethed as he gulped in a lungful of air. Kensi carefully raised her finger to her lips, before helping the large man out of the confined space and towards the pedestrian door of the garage. Gently pushing the lid of the trunk back down she moved to the other side quickly and grabbing a petrol can she doused the car and the floor with the liquid within. "What are you doing?" Arkady whispered in confusion.

"Exactly what Callen has told me to" she replied softly. "Making sure you are dead" she finished, flicking her thumb on the lighter and with a grin she threw it over her shoulder and calmly walked out of the lock up, making sure the former spy followed her.

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"So you got made?" Sam questioned with a grin, he had always had a strange relationship with his partner's old friend.

"It would appear so" Arkady responded tiredly with a sigh. The big navy seal sat down opposite him silently, "I am sorry" the Russian added.

"I just need to know whether I need to be concerned for my partner" Sam stated softly, looking the older man in the eye.

"As far as I can tell G's cover is water tight" Arkady responded seriously. "Callen is a ghost- they don't suspect him". Sam nodded, grateful for the words- yet not fully reassured.

"How's he doing?" he asked quietly.

"He is in deep Agent Hanna" Arkady commented, knowing that it would be answer enough for the other man. The two men were interrupted by the arrival of the ops manager stepping through the door and approaching them.

"Mr Kolcheck- are you well?" she questioned softly as she made a rare appearance at the boat shed.

"Yes thank you Miss Lange- luckily Callen thought out a plan as quickly as ever" he responded, his gratitude for his old friend evident in his voice.

"Yes something that Agent Callen is particularly good at" Hetty stated softly. "I assume you are feeling up to giving me a full update?" she asked.

"Of course" the Russian responded, making himself comfortable for the long haul- knowing that the formidable woman in front of him would be checking on every element of her boy's welfare.

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"So you really torched your car?" Andrei asked with a grin.

"I had to destroy the body somehow" Callen responded with a shrug.

"You're crazy Demetri" the Russian chuckled at the younger man.

"What do we do now?" Callen asked after a few moments.

"I expect that Ivor will be cutting a deal with Asad- we just wait to be called in for the deal" Andrei stated, himself unsure as to their fate.

"Will you face repercussions for Kolcheck?" Callen asked softly as he sat down beside his friend.

"I don't think so- it wasn't me that arranged the introduction" Andrei told him. "He was brought in directly from one of Ivor's contacts". Callen nodded absorbing the information, and planning his next move.

End Chapter Fifteen

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	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

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Chapter Sixteen

Callen barely slept that night- it wasn't unusual for him to sleep only a little- but he rarely suffered completely sleepless nights. He could feel his mind slipping away from him, and he knew that his partner would disapprove of how totally he was prepared to go under to get to the bottom of the case. He sighed as he rolled over in bed, his head was a whirl with plans that he knew he would have to execute to perfection or pay the consequences. Knowing that it was a lost cause he swung his legs out of bed and leant down to pick up his abandoned shirt, grabbing a pair of shorts from the drawers beside him, within minutes he was out of the door and running into the night.

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Sam felt little comfort from the update that the former KGB agent had given him. He was concerned for his partner, and he couldn't help but feel it was with good reason. The press had been fed the story of the garage fire and Arkady had been shipped off to a safe house until the case was finalised- but none of that made him feel any better, he hated it when his partner was out there alone- it went against everything he had always believed in based on his Seal training. He flicked the channel on the TV as sleep continued to elude him, and tried not to think of where his partner may be.

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Callen stepped back through the door just as his cell chirped from the counter. Taking a breath to steady himself he reached for it and answered the call in one swift motion. He listened intently to the voice on the other end, before uttering his agreement and disconnecting the call. Placing the phone back on the side he headed straight into the bathroom. He allowed the spray of water to pelt against his skin- so hot it almost blistered to the touch yet he didn't flinch away. Only stepping out when it began to cool, he towelled himself dry and pulled on fresh underwear. Jeans and shirt dragged on and buttoned up he fastened his watch over his wrist. Only then did he pause, hands resting against the sink he stared into the mirror- barely recognising the face that looked back at him. Unblinking he allowed all emotion and thoughts of NCIS to leave him and he became one hundred per cent Demetri. With no further hesitation he placed his side arm in the waistband of his jeans, wallet slid into his pocket and he was out of the door.

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"Callen is on the move" Eric hollered to the group below. All three remaining team members had headed into the office early, each of them unable to rest whilst Callen was out there undercover alone.

"Where's he going?" Kensi asked softly, Eric wandered over to them- tablet in his hand.

"Looks as though he is heading towards the main house" he told them softly.

"Is he alone?" Deeks asked, attempting to glance over the shoulder of the tech.

"No- there is another cell signal with him" he told them, clicking on parts of the screen to bring up as much detail as possible. "It is the cell number that we have on record for Andrei- so Callen is with him" he informed them.

"They have been summoned- the deal must be going down" Sam stated, his tone conveying his worry for his best friend.

"Then we must be ready to be there for your partner Mr Hanna" Hetty interjected having overheard the conversation. "Director Vance has given us full authority to allow it to run to Mr Callen's discretion- it is his call" she told them.

"G will run it as long as possible whether it costs his life or not Hetty" Sam argued.

"He won't get that chance Mr Hanna- we will not let it get that far. Mr Callen may be stubborn, but he is not foolish and we will make sure that he doesn't lose his way" she stated gently. "Now Miss Blye and Mr Deeks- head towards the house, take a spare ear wig with you and if there is a chance of getting it to Callen then take it" she instructed softly. "Mr Beale activate Mr Callen's cell phone, if we are unable to get anyone in with him, we can at least listen to what is happening" she finished.

"What do you want me to do?" Sam asked when he was left with no task.

"Get ready to drag Mr Callen out- assuming it will be with him kicking and screaming" she told him, her words confirming to him that he was right to worry.

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Callen eased the brand new Mercedes through the gates carefully.

"I can't believe Ivor sent me this" he stated to the Russian next to him.

"He thinks highly of you Demetri- and you lost your car to his cause so he deemed it only fair" Andrei responded with a smile. He couldn't help but like the young man beside him- he was quiet and unassuming yet a thorough professional. "Please be careful Demetri, the more useful you are to Ivor the less chance you have of ever getting away" he warned softly as the two stepped out of the car.

"I have no need or want to get away" Callen responded with a grin. "I have no one, and nowhere else to be Andrei" he stated, and he couldn't help the sincerity that was present in his voice as his words were true no matter which identity he put to it.

"Just be careful, you are a good boy, I don't wish to see you get hurt" Andrei urged quietly.

"I will be careful" Callen promised gently, as he followed the older man into the house. He couldn't help the developing fondness he felt towards the other man. Circumstances had forced the Russian into his fate, he wasn't a bad man, he showed no sense of loyalty to any of the organisations that Ivor seemed to be linked to. He had formed the impression that the other man was only in his life due to love for his family- and it was that love that had him trapped in it- Callen couldn't judge him for that. Silently the two men headed into the house, knowing that the biggest deal of their lives was about to be set in motion- Callen just hoped that they could both survive it.

End Chapter Sixteen

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	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

Come on how is this for a quick update? Thank you so much for your continual reviews- I really appreciate them! Please keep reading and reviewing- there are still a few more twists and turns and I promise to try not to hurt Callen too much! Ah yeh and don't forget to check out my other on-going story 'The Lonely Track' that is two chapters in now!

Chapter Seventeen

Callen walked into the house, carrying his usual air of confidence as he moved, Andrei right beside him. The two men were guided into the study where Ivor was waiting for them both.

"Demetri, Andrei come in and sit" he invited with a smile, gesturing at the seats opposite him. "We have much to celebrate boys! I have just agreed a very good price with Asad and soon we will all be very rich!" he told them as he handed them each a good measure of vodka. Callen smiled and raised his glass in a silent toast with the other men. "Demetri, you have done me very proud son!" Ivor stated to the youngest man. "I have a special task for you to complete for me later" he told him softly. Andrei looked at his young friend in concern.

"What would that be?" Callen asked softly in Russian, the words flowing faultlessly from his tongue.

"I will talk to you in private later my boy" Ivor told him carefully, and Callen couldn't help the small shudder that ran through him at the words.

"I am sure it will be my pleasure sir" he finally stated, downing the rest of the Vodka in one gulp.

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"Oh dear" Eric whispered to himself as he heard the exchange via his friend's cell phone.

"Oh dear in deed Mr Beale" Hetty responded. "Something is going to happen, and whatever it is it does not appear to be good" she stated softly. "Mr Hanna- move in closer to the house, just in case it is a task that Mr Callen cannot get himself out of. I will update the director- keep me informed" she instructed lightly as she headed out of ops and towards her office.

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"Hetty's worried" Kensi commented to her partner as they sat listening from their vantage point.

"I'm worried too" Deeks stated, his face the picture of seriousness. "Whatever they have planned it can't be good. When they tested him he passed too convincingly- that means they will keep tasking him, and sooner or later he will either have to really complete the task or get made- I'm not sure which one he would go with" the seasoned detective commented. He hadn't known Callen as long as the others had- yet he knew that the other man was one of the closest friends he had, and that the lead agent would do anything to take care of him- he just wished that the team leader would care for himself as much.

"You think he is in too deep?" Kensi questioned gently.

"I think he is too focussed on completing the mission, and that the lines are possibly a little blurry" Deeks responded carefully.

"Callen won't go rogue" the female agent argued, offended at the suggestion.

"I never suggested he would Kens" Deeks soothed the woman carefully. "I just worry he's going to get himself hurt because he is too stubborn to pull out" he added. Kensi sighed, unable to disagree with the detective.

"We'll just have to make sure that he isn't allowed to do so" she stated, and her tone left no room for argument.

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"Leon I am more than slightly concerned- the longer this cover is allowed to run the more risk there is of Mr Callen getting made" Hetty stated over the phone to the director.

"That is true of every undercover mission Henrietta- and we both know it. Agent Callen is one of the best agents either of us have ever known- if he needs to get out he will do so" Vance argued, "now I think you are letting your emotions cloud your professional judgement here" he added. Hetty inhaled sharply at the suggestion.

"How dare you Leon! You know me better than that. Callen has already been forced to injure a fellow agent, it was only through his shear skill set that it wasn't fatal- this is going to damage him Leon" Hetty reasoned, she had been wanting to pull her agent out as soon as that incident had occurred, and she still had not been furnished with full details of it.

"This mission is critical to national security and we have to keep going or face a political disaster" the director added. "If you think that Callen isn't up to the job then tell me now?" he asked- knowing full well that the lead agent at the LA office was the only suitable person for the job.

"I am saying no such thing and you know it- I am simply raising my concerns with the new developments" the ops manager told him with a sigh.

"Noted, I have every faith in Callen to progress the investigation and the team to ensure his safety. Keep me in the loop Hetty" he stated, and disconnected the call before any further comment could be made. Hetty sighed to herself, she couldn't really argue that she was worried for her team, but she also couldn't help but think it was with very good reason.

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An hour had passed and the three men were still enjoying a civilised drink in the study. Ivor glanced at his watch before turning his attention back to his company.

"We have had too much to drink, why don't you both stay here tonight?" he suggested softly.

"That is kind, thank you" Callen responded with a smile, not looking forward to being forced to stay in the house- and knowing Hetty would not be pleased with his lack of a check in.

"Thank you Ivor" Andrei added his own agreement softly. He had been very quiet throughout the evening, Callen had noticed- but refrained from comment not wanting to draw attention to it. "I think I may turn in for the night if that is all right?" the Russian asked softly.

"Of course, I know that your injuries pain you- get some rest" the older man stated. Callen got to his feet to help his new friend to the bed room. "Demetri- once you have assisted Andrei if you can return, I will explain your task to you" he instructed gently. Callen nodded, walking slowly beside Andrei to the guest quarters.

"I have a bad feeling" Andrei whispered lightly to Callen.

"Do you need a doctor?" Callen offered in concern, guilt overwhelming him that he had been forced to cause the other man the injuries that he was now suffering with.

"No- I am well Demetri- and stop worrying- you had no choice but to do this I don't blame you" he reassured his young friend gently. "I think I am out of favour and Ivor will want rid of me" he stated softly.

"Why? You have done nothing wrong?" Callen asked, his stomach churning as he joined the dots.

"I have served my use. Years and years of setting up deals and recruiting new staff who will assist in getting rid of problems, there is nothing further he needs me for" Andrei explained, his voice catching in his voice.

"He will let you retire?" Callen asked, already knowing the answer.

"No one retires from Ivor's many businesses, I suspect I will be disposed of just like Arkady" Andrei told him as he eased his battered frame down on the bed. Callen shook his head lightly. "Demetri- Ivor will ask you to do it, I am sure that is what he wishes to discuss with you" Andrei told him gently.

"I won't do it" Callen argued, bile rising in his throat.

"If you don't he will kill you Demetri, and it will be slow and painful- I am tired, I have had enough and there is no way out for me. If you don't do it someone else will" he told him a sad smile on his face as he spoke. "Now go and speak with Ivor- and whatever he tells you to do you must- and then you need to find a way out. Don't end up like me" the older man stated, laying down on the bed and closing his eyes- resigned to his fate. Callen took a deep steadying breath, suddenly running out of ideas of how to progress this matter without any more bloodshed- the image of the undercover FBI agent laid bleeding and broken because of him filling his mind.

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"Things just became worse, much worse" Eric muttered to himself as he listened.

"Amen to that" Sam commented, he could tell that his partner was becoming emotionally attached to the Russian, and somehow he needed to get him out of this situation. "Has Hetty heard the update?" Sam asked softly.

"She is just on the phone updating the director- I will update her shortly" Nell told him softly.

"This is about to get even more messy" Sam stated to himself, wishing that he could just march into the house and drag his partner out.

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Callen moved slowly back to the study and accepted the fresh drink that Ivor had poured for him.

"You have impressed me greatly Demetri- you have managed to neutralise an invasion from two separate government agencies with no links to us- that is impressive work" Ivor told him softly. "Andrei has done well to bring you to me and I think that you will go far if you stay with me"

"Andrei is a good man" Callen stated softly. "He has been good to me" he added.

"I admire your loyalty Demetri, however sometimes you have to look at who your loyalty truly belongs to- a friend, or the one that can give you a lifetime of security and the type of life that you dream of" Ivor stated softly.

"I am listening" Callen urged the man to continue.

"Andrei has worked for me for a number of years- but I am sensing a change in him. He can no longer play the game the way it needs to be played. He is tired and getting sloppy" Ivor explained as he sipped at his drink deep in thought.

"He has a family, he maybe needs to spend more time with them" Callen suggested, his accent maintained despite his mounting stress levels at the situation.

"Unfortunately that is not an option" Ivor stated, his face suddenly severe and his voice the tone of stone.

"What is it you want me to do?" Callen asked, knowing in his gut that he already knew the answer.

"I want you to remove him, he needs to go" Ivor stated.

"As in move him somewhere?" Callen asked, deliberately being difficult to get the exact words from the man in front of him.

"As in kill him Demetri- he knows too much for me to allow him to simply walk away. I am trusting you to do this and soon" Ivor instructed, getting to his feet and leaving the inwardly shell-shocked agent alone in the room

End Chapter Seventeen

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	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

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Chapter Eighteen

Callen moved to the guest room in silence- he sat down on the bed and slipped off his shoes before rubbing his hand over his face tiredly. Carefully he removed his SIG from his waistband and placed it under the pillow of the bed before slipping his cell from his pocket. He reached to the bedside cabinet and went to put it on the side- noticing the constantly active screen as he did so. He sighed to himself and rested his head in his hands in exhaustion.

"I assume you got all that Eric" he muttered having well and truly caught the Ops team out on their spying.

"Loud and clear" Eric whispered in response. Callen nodded, too tired to do anything else he simply reached for his cell- switched it off and removed the battery, needing peace to gather his thoughts.

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"Can you reconnect?" Hetty prompted the tech as soon as the screen went blank.

"No the cell is not reachable Hetty" Eric responded, his own concern for his friend evident.

"Mr Hanna- you three may stand down for this evening, the danger appears to be over" Hetty instructed over the comm link. She received reluctant acknowledgements- but she knew that they would do as she asked. "Mr Beale, Miss Jones- it is time for you to get some rest too. I will see you in the morning" she stated softly, turning and walking back to her office. Following her own advice she gathered her belongings and headed back to one of her many homes- a mind of whirl of how the hell her agent was going to get out of this one.

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Callen gave up on his non-existent sleep, choosing instead to get showered and changed into clean clothes. Silently he paced up and down in his room, his mind a whirl as he processed his options for the coming days. Finally mind made up he reached for his cell and tapped out a brief text to his 'mother'. He stretched his shoulders and headed out of the room and towards the kitchen- surprised to find the housekeeper already at work despite it still being dark outside.

"Coffee?" the old woman offered upon seeing her house guest.

"Yes please" Callen accepted as he sat by the counter and was almost immediately handed the steaming liquid. He sat in silence sipping at his beverage as he considered his next actions, finally he had finished his drink and with a final glance at his watch he moved down the corridor- he knew what he had to do, he just hoped he could bring himself to do it.

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Hetty woke from her light sleep to the beeping of her cell phone. She reached out for it blindly- quickly reading the words on the screen, and then re-reading them to herself in disbelief.

"Oh no Mr Callen" she whispered to herself, instantly awake she rolled out of the bed and pulled on her robe. She moved through her house and filled the kettle, wondering how she could assist her team leader in his latest hare-brained scheme. Plans being formed in her mind, she called in the team.

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Callen knocked on the door gently.

"Come in Demetri" Andrei called gently, Callen pushed the door open and leant against the doorframe. "I am ready- I have been waiting for you" he sighed as he got to his feet and followed the younger man out of the room and through the halls of the house. Callen headed towards his new car, and the two men got in without a word. "I was correct in my guess?" Andrei asked softly.

"Yes, that is what he wished to speak to me about" Callen confirmed with a sigh.

"It was inevitable sooner or later Demetri" Andrei reassured his clearly worried friend. Callen nodded, indicating and pulling over at the side of the road, needing to steady his nerves. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he was relieved when he read the message. He took a deep breath, before pulling back into the traffic- now he had a destination he execute his plan.

"I wish it didn't have to be this way" Callen responded finally, and he meant every word. He was an experienced undercover operative- he had been in the game for twenty years, and yet he had still formed an emotional attachment to the other man. Maybe he saw something of himself in the Russian, or maybe recent events were still weighing on his mind, but somehow he almost considered the man a friend- despite the fact that after today he would probably never see him again.

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Sam moved quickly through the city- Hetty had briefed them all by telephone, only Deeks had made it into Ops and he had grabbed as much kit as he was able before heading to the rendezvous. Sam couldn't help but feel nervous- Callen had to pull this off to perfection- one slip and he could easily be found out and that would mean his life. He wasn't happy with the plan- in his opinion it was overly risky, but it was the plan and he would do his utmost to make sure that it worked to the letter- for his partner's sake if nothing else. Within minutes he was at the docks, obscured from view by the stacks of crates, surprised to find the other two already kitted up and waiting for him. He fastened his vest and accepted the rifle he was handed by the detective.

"Any sign of G?" he asked softly.

"Not yet- Eric is monitoring progress via traffic cam" Kensi told the former seal softly.

"The area has been checked and double checked?" he asked, keen to make sure that there was no stone left unturned.

"Hetty got a team out first thing to completely sweep the area" Deeks told them softly, checking his ammo again.

"Callen is two minutes out guys" Eric told them over the comm link. They exchanged a glance and with a determined nod they took up their positions to await the arrival of their friend.

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"I am sorry you are in this position Demetri" Andrei stated when the silence overwhelmed him.

"You have nothing to apologise for Andrei" Callen responded feeling a lump in his throat.

"I am glad that if it has to be anybody that it is you" Andrei told his young friend, and Callen couldn't draw the strength to reply. Within another minute Callen was turning into the dock land, and driving down the road he turned into the loading area and stopped - hidden between the rows of crates. He stepped out of the car and held the door for Andrei to do the same.

"It shouldn't be anybody" Callen stated softly, drawing his SIG from his waistband. "Hit me" he hissed at the older man.

"What?" Andrei questioned. Callen raised a finger to his lips, begging the other man silently.

"Hit me" he hissed again. Andrei, still not understanding, drew his fist back and weakly threw a punch at the other man. "Hit me properly". He whispered, drawing his hands back and shoving at the other man to provoke him. Finally he drew a reaction and the Russian drew back his fist and punched the undercover agent to the face, Callen spat out blood. "Keep going" he stated, and before long the two men were scuffling beside the dock. After a few minutes Callen raised his gun arm- SIG turned away from Andrei. "Shoot me" he whispered as he prompted the other man to take the gun from him.

"No" Andrei flatly refused, pushing the gun away.

"Trust me Andrei shoot me" Callen begged, pointing at his left shoulder and once more pushing the gun towards the man. Andrei shook his head again, refusing to take the weapon. "Please" Callen urged him, his voice barely audible. Andrei sighed to himself, before raising his arm and firing a single shot- the impact of which pushed Callen backwards his breath catching in his throat as agony coursed through him. Andrei surged forward, his instinct automatically to protect the younger man. Callen reached for the gun, aiming the weapon towards the Russian he let off his signature double tap before moving forward and pushing the other man into the water. Looking down to make sure his work was done, he eased his way back to the car- ignoring the dizziness that was creeping up on him he put the car into reverse and headed back the way that he came.

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"It's done Hetty" Sam updated the Ops manager softly.

"Give it half an hour and then get LAPD down here and a bus" Kensi stated keen to make sure the plan ran to schedule.

"Well done, I will update you as soon as Mr Callen checks in" Hetty told them softly.

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Callen drove directly back to the house, trying to ignore the ever increasing flow of blood that continued to come from his latest bullet wound. He was surprised to feel a sense of relief as he drove through the gates and up towards the front door. He managed to drag himself out of the vehicle and was shocked to find a stagger to his walk as he made his way up the steps to the front door. Knocking he was glad when the big wooden door finally swung open to reveal Ivor himself.

"Demetri?" he questioned as the younger man practically fell through the door.

"It is done sir" Callen told him, knowing that Ivor would understand what he was referring to- and no further words made it past his lips before his world turned to darkness and his knees crumpled.

End Chapter Eighteen

Please review!


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

Thank you so much for your continual support for this story- I am really glad that you all seem to still be reading! Please keep the reviews coming and please keep reading!

Chapter Nineteen

As soon as Sam was happy that no one was watching and Eric had locked out the CCTV system, he began to reel the netting in, Deeks moved forward to assist the former Seal and between them they managed to drag a wet, but very much alive Andrei onto the dock. The confused Russian looked around him.

"What is going on? Who are you? Where is Demetri?" he questioned as he was helped to his feet.

"Come with us, and all will be clear" Sam stated, patting down the soaking man and helping him across to Kensi's truck.

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"Mr Callen?" Hetty questioned as soon as Sam called her.

"Bleeding, but walking and talking" Sam responded, unable to keep his own worry out of voice.

"Keep me updated Mr Hanna" she instructed as she turned her attention back to the analyst team. "Mr Beale, the LAPD teams should be arriving any minute- as soon as our team are clear leak a report to the media about a body being dredged from the water. Mr Deeks has arranged a statement from the LAPD upon contact- make sure it looks good" she directed as she headed back towards her office, suddenly feeling very old and very tired.

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Sam sat opposite the Russian in silence, assessing every move that the man made, and determined to maintain his partner's safety he knew that the Russian wouldn't be going anywhere.

"I don't understand" Andrei stated, his voice shaking. "You are NCIS? How did you know to drag me out of the water?" he asked.

"We had received information that a hit was going to go down at the docks- we were there to intercept it, although clearly too late" Sam stated. "Now I think you need to start telling us about your employer and the man that tried to kill you"

"I can't tell you anything" Andrei refused, rubbing his hand over his face.

"Why? Your boss tried to have you killed- why would you try to protect him?" Kensi asked from her position in the corner.

"It is not him I need to protect- if he finds out I spoke to you he would kill me" Andrei stated, not exaggerating.

"Not if he already believes you to be dead" Sam said with a smile.

"But he will know" Andrei argued, Sam shook his head and brought out his tablet showing the clearly terrified Russian the news report of his demise. "How? How have you managed this?" he asked in amazement, suddenly a sense of freedom overwhelming him.

"It is best if you don't know. However if you don't want Ivor to find out that reports of your death have been exaggerated you will need to start talking" Sam informed him, a hint of menace to his tone.

"I can't- there is someone that works for Ivor, I owe him a great debt and I can't let him pay for my mistakes" Andrei stated sadly.

"Who?" Sam questioned having a feeling in his stomach that the man in front of him was talking about his friend.

"I cannot tell you his name- I owe him my life" Andrei told him, his eye downcast.

"I suspect you are talking about this man" Sam questioned, a picture of his partner out of the file and on the desk in front of him.

"He is a good boy" Andrei stated softly.

"He will be safe from prosecution if you cooperate with us" Kensi told him softly. Andrei looked at them in amazement, before silently nodding his head.

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Four hours later and Sam exhaustedly stepped out of the interrogation room. Andrei had been true to his word and had provided them with more information than they ever could have hoped for. The Russian was now safely stowed in a safe house with his family and several NCIS agents as armed guards. The former seal stretched his back and connected to Ops.

"Has Callen checked in yet?" he asked the moment Eric answered.

"Nothing yet Sam" he replied with a small shake of the head.

"We're on our way back now" he responded, walking out of the boatshed and heading back to update the Ops manager, his mind focussed on his partner.

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The next day and the team had still not heard from their team leader, his lack of contact was making each and every members of the OSP team on edge. The director had refused to authorise them to strike on the address and pull the undercover agent out- he stated that there was too much at stake and he would review it after a few more days of no contact. Eric had run every licence plate they had through Kaleidoscope and tried constantly to remotely activate their missing colleagues cell but to no gain, only increasing the levels of worry for the now missing agent.

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Callen awoke slowly, the pain in his shoulder taking his breath away as awareness overtook him. He opened his eyes, blinking to clear his blurry vision, and remained as still as he could as a roll of nausea ran through him.

"Demetri?" a voice questioned beside him and he carefully rolled his head towards the sound- finally realisation dawned on his and memories of the plan came back.

"Ivor?" he asked his voice croaky due to lack of use.

"Thank god Demetri- you had us worried there" Ivor stated as he sat down beside the younger man.

"Where am I?" Callen questioned, as he looked around him and registered that he wasn't in a hospital.

"You are in one of my guest rooms at my lodge- my personal physician has been taking care of you- I thought it would be better to be discreet in the circumstances" Ivor explained gently. "Your work has been on the news- you have been unconscious for two days" he continued and Callen's eyebrows shot up in horror- his team would be going out of their minds with worry.

"What's the damage?" he asked, closing his eyes against the sudden exhaustion.

"The bullet was lodged in your collar bone, the doctor managed to remove it with little difficulty and he is happy that you will make a full recovery" he told the injured man as he reached over to pour him a glass of water.

"Thank you" Callen accepted the drink gratefully- struggling to pull himself more upright in the bed.

"What happened Demetri?" Ivor questioned once the other man was more comfortable in the bed.

"Andrei was better than I gave him credit for- he managed to get my gun and shot me, we fought- I got the gun back and did as you asked, it just wasn't as neat as I had hoped for" Callen explained tiredly. He had known that Ivor had wanted to see for himself that Andrei had been dismissed- thus the reason for the display at the docks.

"Yes it was far more public than I would have hoped for, but you did get the job done and it has not be linked to us so far- get some rest my boy I have much more work for you" Ivor explained squeezing his uninjured shoulder gently.

"Where's my stuff?" Callen asked, not seeing any of his belongings around him.

"Your clothing was ruined- I took the liberty of sending one of my men to your place to collect some clean clothes for you" Ivor told him softly, "your phone, wallet and gun are in the drawer" he finished as he stood up to leave.

"Thank you" Callen stated gratefully. "Would someone be able to give me a ride home?" he asked quietly, as he struggled to sit up in the bed.

"Really Demetri you do need to rest" Ivor told him warningly.

"I will, I just want to go home- I can get my mother to keep an eye on me, I will tell her I crashed the car" he stated managing to swing his legs over the edge of the bed and desperately ignoring the dizziness that overwhelmed him at the move.

"Fine, I will take you myself- call your mother and make sure she is free to stay with you" he instructed and left to prepare the car. Callen rubbed his one hand tiredly over his face, pleased that his cover appeared to be intact and hoping against hope that the plan had worked.

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Callen had never been so grateful for pain killers as the doctor tapped out two pills into his hand.

"You really shouldn't be moving around- bullet wounds are nothing to take lightly" he told the young man gently.

"I know that doc- I'll be fine" he responded as he struggled with his button up shirt. Carefully he got to his feet and moved unsteadily out of the room and down the hall to find Ivor waiting for him.

"Ready?" the older man asked lightly.

"Yes, thanks I can get a cab if it's easier" Callen offered as he leant on the kitchen counter- feeling fare more secure to have the comforting weight of the SIG at his waist band.

"No, not in your state- I will take you" Ivor stated leaving no room for argument. Callen nodded and followed the other man out of the house, thumbing on his cell phone as he placed it in his pocket.

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"Hetty" Eric hollered. "Callen's cell was just activated" he told her excitedly.

"Where is he?" she asked as she headed up behind him.

"He is on the move Hetty" Nell told her as she brought the GPS up on the large screen.

"It looks as though he is heading back to the house" Eric commented lightly.

"Contact the team Mr Beale- we need them on standby" Hetty instructed, heading downstairs and collecting her belongings she was out of the door in minutes.

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Somehow Hetty arrived at the house almost simultaneously with Callen.

"Demetri! Where have you been?" she called out to him in Russian, fully in character.

"Mama! I am sorry I forgot to call, I got stuck at a friend's house" he responded, leaning against the car to support his body weight. Hetty took in her agent's appearance and wasn't happy with what she saw.

"You look ill, what has happened?" she asked, moving towards him like a mother hen.

"I am fine mama, please let's go inside" he stated, moving slowly towards the door.

"Demetri I will call you tomorrow- make sure you rest" Ivor instructed him as he got back in the car and set off back towards his home.

"You look awful" Hetty told her agent softly as she moved to help him. Callen raised a finger to his lips and shook his head to stop her from continuing. She quickly realised what he was trying to tell her and nodded. "You must come and stay with me" she told him. He nodded and followed her to the car, easing himself carefully into her car. She drove in silence, zig zagging through the streets before driving to Ops, satisfied that the agent was resting whilst she drove.

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Callen was relieved to wake up to familiar surroundings this time. Just as the jaguar pulled into the parking bay. Callen stepped out in silence, glad to be as close to home as he got, he headed directly to the locker room and pulled off his clothes, careful over his latest injuries, he looked into the mirror and was horrified at the face staring back at him. It held no hint of the confident agent- he had lost weight, even he could see that. Dropping the clothes into a bin liner he took out jeans and a shirt from his locker and after he had showered, scrubbing himself as clean as the dressing on his shoulder would allow he patted himself dry and got dressed. Taking a deep breath he made the slow walk back to the sofas in ops, unsurprised to find the team gathered and clearly waiting for him.

"You good?" Sam asked in concern, taking in the pallor and the unsteady gait.

"I'm fine Sam" Callen replied, although failing to disguise the wince as he eased himself down onto what he liked to consider his sofa.

"Why didn't you check in?" Sam asked quietly sitting opposite his friend.

"I couldn't Sam, only woke up this morning and activated my cell as soon as I could" he told him, resting his head back against the sofa and closing his eyes against his pounding headache.

"Have you been checked out G?" Sam asked, softening his tone.

"Ivor's personal doctor has been taking care of me" Callen replied.

"Mr Callen, I suggest you get some much needed sleep- and you can update us when you have had some rest" Hetty directed, sensing that the team leader was flagging and knew that he could be called back to his undercover at any time. Callen barely registered her words as he drifted off to sleep without a choice, Sam shook his head lightly and carefully eased his partner so that he was laying down and draped the blanket over his still form.

"You think he's all right?" he asked softly.

"I am sure he will be just fine, just let him rest. I will arrange for him to checked over Mr Hanna" Hetty responded, taking one last glance at the now sleeping agent before heading to her desk to update the director and arrange for medical intervention.

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Callen woke up a few hours later- feeling refreshed and more relaxed in the safe surroundings.

"You with us?" a familiar voice asked beside him, and Callen moved to the side- the movement causing him to cry out in pain. The team leader cursed and his shallow breaths rasped in his chest as he struggled to control the pain. "Easy G" Sam soothed as he gently rubbed his partner's back.

"I'm good" Callen stated when he could finally manage to speak.

"I'll be the judge of that" a third voice joined in and Callen looked up to see an old friend.

"Nate!" he greeted with the first genuine smile to grace his pale face in days.

"Can't leave you alone for a minute can we Callen?" Nate stated as he moved to sit beside the injured agent.

"Hetty call you?" he asked as he eased his battered frame back, his aching arm cradled against his chest.

"Just passing by" Nate stated with a smile. "While I'm here I may as well check you out" he offered.

"I don't need a psyche eval Nate" Callen argued.

"I do have a medical degree you know Callen, and I won't even start to argue your statement" the physcologist stated, offering his hand to help the injured man to his feet. Callen hesitated for a moment before accepting the help that was offered and with a dramatic sigh followed his friend towards the locker rooms for his physical check.

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"That must hurt Callen- you need to rest it" Nate told the agent with a disapproving tone to his voice as he assessed the damage to the other man's shoulder. Reaching into his bag he pulled out a sling and moved back towards the team leader with it.

"No way Nate" Callen argued, backing away and disguising his wince at the movement.

"The more that you move it the more damage you are going to cause to it and the longer it is going to take to heal- if it does heal" Nate told him seriously. "Just keep it immobile whilst you are here and safe" Nate reasoned. Callen sighed again before reluctantly agreeing. Nate secured the sling and handed his friend some pain killers and a bottle of water. Callen dry swallowed them, and found them replaced with two more pills. "Trust me- you do not want to end up with an infection" Nate told him. Callen nodded and swallowed them without argument. "Now I suspect Hetty will be waiting for you" Nate warned lightly. "You doing ok?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine Nate" Callen responded getting to his feet and heading out- he needed to update his team and plan the next moves.

"You are far from that Callen" Nate muttered as he watched his friend move away.

End Chapter Nineteen

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	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

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Hope you are all spending Valentine's day with your loved ones!

Chapter Twenty

Hetty looked up as she saw Callen emerging from the area of the locker room. She sighed as she could already see his shutters clattering into place- masking any emotions he may have been feeling. She turned her attention back to her laptop- knowing her agent well enough to know that he would come and speak with her when he was ready.

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Callen headed straight over to the coffee pot and grabbed a cup- one arm immobilised by the sling he struggled to pour the steaming liquid into the disposable cup, trying to ignore the slight shake to his hand as he did so. Carefully he eased the pot back onto the stand, he hated the sling with a passion- yet he couldn't deny that coupled with the pain killers it did ease the throbbing in his shoulder slightly. He could feel the eyes of his team burning his back- and knew that he owed it to them to explain what was going on, he just felt so tired. Taking a sip of coffee he turned around and headed back over to the sofas, sitting down amongst the group.

"Did you get Arkady out okay?" he asked his friends as he sat down and sipped at his coffee.

"Yeah, a few bruises- mostly to his ego, but he is fine" Kensi replied with a smile.

"Good- and Andrei?" he questioned.

"He's fine too, confused- but currently holed up in a safe house with his family. He doesn't know you are NCIS, and refused to cooperate unless you were exempt from prosecution" Sam explained to his friend. Callen nodded, pleased to hear that both of his friends had made it out safely.

"Do you know how the FBI agent is doing?" he asked, his head resting back against the sofa as he refused to meet the eye of any of the team.

"We don't know anything about her, other than the very vague details that were in your report" Deeks commented, hoping to draw more information from the team leader. Callen was saved from comment by his cell phone chirping from his jean's pocket.

"Da?" he answered, getting to his feet as he spoke. He listened in silence, memorising the instructions carefully before nodding his head in agreement. "I will see you then" he finally stated, disconnecting the call and sitting back down.

"Further instructions I assume Mr Callen?" Hetty asked quietly from where she had appeared beside the group.

"Yeah, tomorrow morning" Callen responded tiredly, almost wishing he had been summoned sooner to get it over with.

"Let's speak in my office" she invited, her tone gentle as she did not wish to push the young man away. Callen followed the petite woman to her office, and sat down in his usual seat. "What was Nate's verdict?" she questioned softly.

"I'm fine Hetty- just a bit sore" Callen replied, leaning back in the chair with an appearance of nonchalance that he didn't feel.

"And Nate is satisfied?" she asked. He nodded, not willing to comment any further. "What are the details of your meeting tomorrow?"

"I need to go to the house for 10am, and that is as much as I know. Ivor says he has a job for me, I assume that I will find out tomorrow" Callen responded.

"I need a full update on everything you have on Ivor Mr Callen" she instructed softly. He nodded, getting to his feet and heading to his laptop to type up his report. He sat down on his chair, the sense of familiarity comforting him more than he would ever have realised. Flipping open the computer with his one good hand he then set about the troublesome task of writing a full update. He was so focussed on his task that he took him a moment to register the presence looming beside him.

"I am fine Sam" he commented with a sigh, momentarily looking up from the laptop.

"Yeah and I'm the pope" Sam responded with a snort, perching on the edge of his partner's desk. "You want a hand typing that?" he offered gently- seeing his partner's struggle with his injured shoulder.

"The way you type? Na it's quicker for me to do it with one hand" Callen replied with the flash of a grin. Sam couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him at the flash of the Callen that he knew and loved.

"In that case I'll do the lunch run instead" the former seal stated with a roll of his eyes, knowing that his partner wouldn't stop and eat unless he was forced to. Callen stifled a smile as he turned his attention back to the latest part of his report- getting his account down on paper as quickly as his one handed typing would allow.

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"A double double just for you" Sam commented as he placed the burger on the desk beside his partner. "But don't blame me if your cholesterol hits the two hundreds!" he continued with a chastising tone. Callen smiled.

"Thanks Sam, I'm really not hungry" he responded as he pushed the laptop shut having finished his report.

"G- come on man, I know you haven't eaten in days" the former seal argued lightly.

"I keep telling you Sam- you are not my mother" Callen stated, getting to his feet and moving towards the sofa where he sat down.

"You need one G" Sam commented, falling into the old routine instantly. "But if you don't eat something your skinny ass is going to collapse, and that won't be good for anyone" Callen sighed dramatically and accepted the food that the seal handed him, taking a bite- his favourite food tasting like sawdust to him. He managed half of the burger before he had enough and couldn't face another bite. His partner unwilling to push him any further. "Where are you going to stay tonight?" he asked his exhausted looking friend gently.

"I will probably crash here" Callen responded, his tone carrying his weariness.

"Couch is free at my place G" Sam offered gently.

"Too noisy" the team leader responded with a smile.

"Seriously G- stay at my place" Sam asked carefully, really not wanting to let his friend out of his sight. Callen sighed, too tired to argue- he got to his feet and followed his partner out of the door and to the challenger. Sam drove carefully home, not wanting to cause his friend any additional pain, he was relieved to turn onto the driveway of his home. He had to stop himself from reaching out to help his partner out of the car, he pushed open the front door and flicked the lights on. Callen headed straight over to the sofa, having stayed many times before he knew where everything was.

"You sure this is ok?" he asked softly as he sat down, and struggled to pull his boots off.

"Come on G, you know they don't mind" Sam responded, his family were well used to his partner after all of this time- and never questioned why he stayed with them. Sam moved quickly gathering pillows to support his friend's injured shoulder and a blanket to keep the younger man warm.

"Thanks" Callen stated gratefully accepting the pillows as his gunshot wound made itself known to him again. He couldn't quite cover the wince and the slight groan that escaped him as he rested back against the pile of pillows, his shirt removed and folded up on top of his boots as neatly as he could manage. Sam silently handed him some pain killers and an open bottle of water, not passing comment on the obvious pain his friend was in.

"Night G" he stated, his voice a whisper as he observed that his friend was already drifting off in an exhausted slumber.

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Sam sighed as he sat on the edge of the bed, and undid his watch strap placing it on the bedside table before putting his wedding ring back on his ring finger.

"Everything ok?" his wife asked from beside him.

"Yeah, G is back" Sam replied, his wife had known he was worried sick about his missing partner over the last couple of days.

"Is he all right?" she asked, she liked her husband's partner- she knew that he would do everything in his power to keep Sam safe, and she couldn't ask for more than that.

"Banged up, and shot in the shoulder but he says he's ok" Sam responded as he swung his legs into the bed under the covers.

"Callen always says he is ok" she commented gently, resting her head on her husband's shoulder to offer him any comfort that she could.

"He's on the sofa for tonight- exhausted so the kitchen might be safe" Sam told her with a smile- both of them aware of the insomniac's night time habits.

"Good, get some sleep Sam- I get the feeling you will need all the energy you can over the next couple of days" the wise woman told him, squeezing him tight. If only either of them knew how right she was.

End Chapter Twenty

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	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One

Sorry for the slight delay in posting this chapter, I will try and be better in future! Thank you for your wonderful reviews, please keep them coming.

Chapter Twenty-One

Sam barely slept that night, as worry for his partner marred his dreams, there was no way his friend was up to a long running undercover operation- he was injured and exhausted, plus losing himself much too much for Sam's tastes. He stretched as he got out of bed heading into the en suite and brushing his teeth and washing. He sighed as he pulled his shirt over his head and dragged his jeans on, flicking off the light he headed downstairs to check on his partner- only partly surprised to find the younger man nowhere to be seen.

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Callen moved quickly, needing to clear his head and get into the right mind set. He shouldn't have stayed at Sam's- he was not Callen the NCIS agent, he was Demetri- to think or act any differently could cost him his life and lose them the op, both of which were unacceptable. He trotted down the subway and keeping boarded a carriage, needing to be anywhere at that moment in time but there.

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Hetty sighed as she received the update from Sam, she was determined that one of these days she would get the lone wolf tendencies out of her lead agent. He was the most gifted agent she had ever known- an absolute natural at the undercover game, and his mind was able to make great leaps of logic and plan the most intricate of ops as if it was a trip to the park. She just sometimes wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake some sense into him- he had people around him that loved him, she so wished that he could accept the love that was so readily given to him. She just hoped that one day he would be able to see himself how everyone else saw him- a talented, loving man that had so much to offer and not a broken damaged being that would never be fully whole. With one final pause she lifted the phone and hit the speed dial for the director knowing that he would need to be updated on the case.

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Callen got dressed quickly, not wanting to keep Ivor waiting- he knew that today would be the make or break in the case- and he had to be ready. Wordlessly he activated the ear wig and pushed it into his ear, button cam affixed to the front of his shirt. Taking one last deep breath before he spoke.

"Eric- you getting me?" he questioned softly.

"Loud and clear" the tech responded, his tone carrying an edge of surprise, that he didn't quite hide in time.

"Setting off now" Callen stated, sparing no thought for any further words and simply heading out of the door, SIG ever present in his waist band and sling discarded on the kitchen counter.

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"Well at least he hasn't gone lone wolf on us" Hetty stated as Eric updated the team on Callen's check in.

"So we follow the plan?" Sam questioned.

"Yes Mr Hanna- do exactly as your partner instructed. Be in the area, but only move if he tells you too" Hetty instructed and without further words the team were deploying, hoping against hope that this would be the beginning of the end of this mission- for the sake of all of them, but especially their team leader.

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"Ah Demetri my boy how are you feeling?" Ivor questioned as Callen stepped into his study.

"Much better thank you" Callen replied with a small grin.

"I have made a decision about your future. You have proved yourself to me time and time again, and I feel that your future sits with my business and I would like you to be a permanent member of it" Ivor stated.

"Thank you, it would be an honour" Callen responded with a smile.

"I have a very important job for you Demetri- the deal with Asad is nearing completion. I need you to make the delivery for me" Ivor explained.

"Delivery? Where to?" he questioned as he sat down opposite the large Russian.

"I want you to make the delivery to Syria, I want you to make sure that this goes without a hitch. There is ten million dollars in it for you" Ivor explained.

"I don't know what to say Ivor" Callen stuttered, well and truly in character.

"Just agree to it- I know that you are the person for the job. You speak some Arabic and I need a trusted man on this, plus Asad already likes you" Ivor continued.

"I will do it, just tell me where I need to be" Callen stated shaking the older man's hand in agreement.

"You do me proud my boy" Ivor grinned at his young friend, pleased that he had a reliable person to ensure his big money deal went to plan. Within minutes Callen was out of the door and heading back to his apartment, his brain already forming a number of options for the further development in the plan- he had to make sure he got all of the evidence that he could- he owed it to everyone.

End Chapter Twenty-One

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	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

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Chapter Twenty Two

Callen knew what he had to do, he couldn't step away from this- there was no way he could live with himself if he let the other parties of the arms deal get away with what they had done. If he did that it would all have been for nothing. He sighed as he practically crawled into the bed in his apartment, knowing that the next day would bring a very difficult conversation with his team

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Hetty was not happy with what she was hearing, she was even less happy with her agent's apparent blasé attitude towards it.

"It is too dangerous" Hetty stated emphatically her body language speaking volumes of her vehement disagreement.

"Everything we do is dangerous" Callen stated softly, too tired to waste energy on arguing. "Like it or not Hetty- I am seeing this through. They need to pay and I am going to make sure that they do. Going with the arms captures every chain of the operation, there's no point leaving things half assed" he stated, his voice rising slightly as he spoke gaining the attention of the rest of the team gathered behind him. "Now with or without your support I will see this through Hetty- and there isn't a god damned thing you can do to stop me" he stated, dragging himself to his feet and walking out of the office without a backward glance- leaving behind a shocked looking OSP team. Hetty sighed as she leant back in her chair, her concern for her agent at an all-time high.

"Hetty?" Sam questioned as he approached the Ops manager.

"Find your partner Mr Hanna- and for heaven's sake bring him back here in one piece" Hetty instructed softly.

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Sam headed straight to the boat shed- his partner was so deeply undercover he would not risk being seen in a public place anywhere around NCIS- his habits ran deep and there was no way his paranoia would allow that, despite his distraction. Sam found his partner quickly, pacing along the dockland, muttering to himself in Russian.

"Demetri?" he called out, covering in case of prying ears. Callen whirled around- his hand automatically going to his waistband to arm himself. "Relax man it's me" Sam soothed his friend, his hands out in front of him with open palms. Callen physically shook himself out of his thoughts.

"Sam" he confirmed, more to himself than to greet his partner.

"Come on, let's get a coffee" Sam suggested, guiding his friend away from the docks and towards the coffee stand a short distance away. "You good?" he asked softly.

"I'm fine Sam" Callen stated, not making eye contact- but being guided by his friend.

"Sure you are" Sam muttered, keeping his feet moving- for fear that his friend would push him even further away.

"Sam- please will you just leave it" Callen asked softly, his voice tired. His shoulder was aching, his head was pounding and he wanted more than anything to curl up in a ball and block out the world- but he couldn't do that, Special Agent G Callen may run from many things, but he never ran from pursuing justice. Sam stopped himself from commenting any further, recognising that his friend was on the edge.

"Fine, let's just get a decent cup of coffee- and you can take your pain killers" the older man reprimanded gently.

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"I don't like it Leon. Callen is on the edge here- I need to make sure there is still going to be something to bring back at the end of all of this" Hetty stated.

"Henrietta- Callen has been doing this a very long time. He knows how to bring himself back from an undercover op- he is the best that he have and in this case I agree one hundred per cent with his judgement. This is a golden opportunity to see this through and catch the terrorists once and for all. You know this as much as I do- you need to use your head Miss Lange" Vance stated none too gently.

"I am using my head director- my head is telling me this is a very bad idea and we run a genuine risk of losing one of our own if we allow him to go through with this foolhardy scheme" Hetty argued, desperately wanting her agent to be kept from harm's way.

"Mr Callen knows the risks Hetty- we have to balance the risks against national security. Callen knows this and is happy to continue"

"He is not in his right mind" Hetty commented.

"Some may question when our agents ever are" Leon countered. "Let it run Hetty" he finished before disconnecting the call. Hetty sighed, knowing when she was beaten- but still not liking it any better.

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Callen sipped at the scalding liquid, completely ignoring the sandwich his partner had placed in front of him- a subtle hint as to his shocking eating habits of late.

"Shall we head to the boat shed?" Sam asked quietly- keen to talk to his partner to formulate a plan, but not being able to risk doing so publically. Callen nodded silently- picking up his Styrofoam cup of coffee and heading for the door, Sam scooped up the ignored food and followed behind. Within ten minutes both agents were sat at the table in the boat shed drinking their coffees.

"What's the plan?" Sam asked when it appeared there would be no information forthcoming from his partner.

"I wait to hear from Ivor the details of the flights. I go with the weapons and complete the deal- get the hell out of dodge and allow the cavalry to run in and get all of the bad guys" Callen stated simply.

"You sure you're going to be allowed to just walk away?" Sam asked, concerned at the lack of contingencies to the plan.

"Sure- there is no reason why not. At that point the deal will be complete, he have enough evidence for all of Ivor's crew to go to jail for a very long time- this just makes sure that the whole lot of them rot in hell. If they don't get the arms from Ivor- they will only get them somewhere else and that will mean this has all been for nothing" Callen stated- showing the first bit of emotion Sam had seen from him for days.

"What happened with the FBI agent G?" Sam asked softly, unprepared for the angry flash of blue that was immediately focussed on him.

"What does it matter now?" Callen asked with a hiss to his voice.

"Because you matter G and this is tearing you apart" Sam responded, his arms folded across his chest and his voice heavy with emotion. Callen looked down, his eyes suddenly burning with unshed tears- the test with the undercover FBI agent felt like an eternity ago- yet her face still haunted the little sleep that he managed.

"Read the file Sam" he finally managed to state.

"I have- it is vague and skims over what has happened. I need to know G- I can't help you if I don't know what is eating you up" Sam reasoned gently.

"Just leave it Sam. I don't need your help- I have never asked for it" Callen stated, and without a backward glance walked out of sight of the former Navy seal- his words hurting more than any punch to the face ever could.

End Chapter Twenty Two

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	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three

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Chapter Twenty Three

Callen cursed to himself as he walked away, he knew that he had hurt his friend- but the words had just spilt from his mouth as if he had no control. He paused in his march away from the team and pondered his next steps, after a second he kept walking- he was right, he had to get this finished- and get it finished alone. There was no place for his team in this assignment- whether they liked it or not it was the way it had to be.

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It took Sam a short while to collect himself after the sharp outburst from his partner, he had never been on the receiving end of a Callen tongue lashing and he didn't like it one bit. He had to make sure that this mission ended, and quickly- else he ran the risk of never getting him back at all. He ran a hand over his head- wishing that this nightmare would end- and hoping that they would all survive to see that it did.

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"You mustn't let him see the deal through" Andrei begged Kensi as she finished taking his full account of everything he knew. She felt exhausted from the stories- and her friend's involvement in it left her even more worried about him.

"Who?" she asked- not understanding the statement.

"Demetri- you mustn't let him follow this through- if he travels with the arms he will be lost to Ivor forever. He is a good boy, please you must do something to help him" Andrei stated, his tone laced with sincerity.

"Why? He almost killed you, why do you care so much?" Kensi asked confused about the loyalty the man was displaying towards the undercover agent.

"He could have killed me- but he didn't. Many times he was instructed to hurt me, or finally to kill me and he didn't take the opportunity. He couldn't do it. He is a good boy- he is just lost" Andrei explained. "He never said as much, but I don't think Demetri knows who he really is- he considers himself damaged beyond repair- but he is nothing of the sort" Andrei told the agent. Kensi found herself suddenly speechless- the man in front of her had summed up their team leader perfectly- without even knowing him as the agent.

"I will see what I can do" Kensi finally stated, swallowing back on a lump in her throat as she thought of her friend that was trying so hard to push them all away despite their best efforts to show him how much they cared. With one final nod at the man she left the house, making sure the agents protecting him were in situ she headed back to ops.

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"We are going to have to let him run with it" Deeks stated as he leant against his desk. "I don't think we would be able to get him out now even if the director himself ordered it" the detective added with a sigh.

"Which he won't. The director has stated that we are to let it run- he trusts Mr Callen's judgement" Hetty interjected from behind the group. "We have no option other than to let Mr Callen go through with his plan" she added.

"His plan consists of travelling to Syria, meeting the buyers- handing over the missions and waltzing back to a flight back to the US" Sam stated with a shake of the head.

"That is the only option Mr Hanna. The only difference is we will not allow Mr Callen to go lone wolf on us- if our hand is going to be forced into going through with this folly then we will make sure his team are there to have his back" the petite ops manager stated.

"G won't go for that" Sam stated warningly.

"Tough luck for Mr Callen- he will have no choice in the matter. Eric is continuing to monitor the transmissions coming from his earwig, as soon as it is clear when the meeting will take place we will formulate the plan for you joining him" she explained softly.

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Callen quickly got changed and headed back to the main house for the meeting with Ivor, it was time to get things moving and quickly. His shoulder had started to bleed a little bit, and he knew that Nate would not be happy with him. He knocked on the door and was admitted immediately.

"Ah Demetri my boy! Excellent to see you- you are looking a little better" Ivor greeted him softly.

"Thank you- I have been resting" Callen responded as he sat down opposite the older man.

"are you ready for your little trip?" Ivor questioned as he poured both men a drink.

"Yes- I assume it is to be soon?" Callen asked.

"Yes- have you brought your passport?" Ivor asked with a smirk.

"It is at the apartment" Callen responded, getting the feeling that his working holiday may be sooner than he originally thought.

"Good- have your drink and then Joe here will give you a ride back to pack a bag- the flight is in two hours" Ivor told him, and Callen grinned at the news.

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"Get me the director" Hetty demanded as she heard the update.

"Henrietta- what is the update?" Leon questioned, sensing the urgency.

"I need you to pull some strings to source a flight to Syria for three of my team- leaving within the next few hours" Hetty stated, her tone serious.

"Consider it done- I will contact you with details" the director agreed, knowing why she was making the request he disconnected the call.

"Get packing" Hetty instructed the team, not looking up and knowing that they would be ready within minutes.

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Callen took less than ten minutes to pack a small overnight bag and gather together his passport in his undercover name. He packed a spare clip and SIG hidden within a hollowed out book, assuming that he wouldn't be flying with a commercial airline. He quickly typed out a text to Hetty and activated the GPS in the watch she had given him the previous year for Christmas. It was time to get things started- it was time for him to finish this.

End Chapter Twenty Three

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	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four

Thank you so much for the reviews, and I humbly and deeply apologise for the delay in this update! Please keep reviewing!

Chapter Twenty Four

Within two hours Callen was seated on a private plane, his kit stowed above his head- complete with his service weapon. He flexed his arm carefully- testing the movement in the injured limb. He was alone, and he was very conscious of the fact as he looked around the plane- the stolen weapons safely stored in the undercarriage. He rubbed his hands tiredly over his face before finally resting back and closing his eyes- he had a feeling he was going to need all the energy he could gather.

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"Mr Callen's GPS was activated on a private runway two hours ago. We have lost the signal which suggests he is in the air. Your flights leaves in an hour people, as soon as you land make contact and Eric will update you on Callen's progress. The mission has been officially sanctioned at Presidential level due to the high impact on National security should those weapons be allowed to fall into the wrong hands" Hetty explained as she handed each of her operative a bundle of documents. "These are your covers should you be compromised- the order of the day is to allow the deal to be completed and get the hell out of there- special forces are in place for support and they will secure the weapons and the suspects once Mr Callen is safely out of the area" she finished.

"Is Callen aware of the plan?" Sam questioned lightly.

"We have been unable to make contact with Agent Callen, however the fact that he voluntarily activated his GPS signal suggests that he is accepting us knowing where he is- and I assume that he would realise that I would be unwilling to accept him going in alone so to speak. It stands to reason he won't be surprised to see you- should you come across each other" the canny ops manager explained.

"Speak to you soon" Sam said with a nod- slinging his bag over his shoulder before he headed for the door, the other team members hot on his heels.

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Nineteen hours later and Callen was stretching his back as he stepped off the plane, and was ushered straight through security to a private vehicle waiting for him outside the terminal. No words were spoken to him, and he asked no questions as he leaned back in the leather seating. He looked around as they drove through Damascus, trying to gauge where they were heading. His knowledge of the area was limited having only visited the area once before and leaving in no feet state to be aware of his surroundings. He sighed to himself, mentally hoping that the GPS locater would be working- he was too exhausted to have to fight his way out of the country, he just hoped that everything went to plan and that they would get all of the bad guys.

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"The signal is nice and strong, Mr Beale keep monitoring it and let me know when it stops moving, the coordinates need passing on to the team" Hetty instructed as she stood and watched the flashing dot on the screen.

"I am recording all activity Hetty. It looks as though they are heading towards Homs" Eric informed the petite woman stood in front of him. She shook her head at the update, the area was deeply unsettled and would make a safe extraction much more difficult- yet she had her faith that her agents could pull it off.

"Update the team as soon as you can make contact. Miss Jones, is there any update from the US contingent?" she asked turning to her intelligence analyst.

"Nothing, there have been a few calls exchanged, however nothing that could be used as evidence. The best link is Ivor's car taking Callen to the runway and the evidence that Callen had already gathered, there is nothing new to link them to the deal" Nell explained as she looked through the information on her screen.

"Arkady still safely stowed away?" Hetty asked softly.

"Yes, the team that is with him have confirmed that he is settled in the safe house- although he enquired about Callen" Nell confirmed with a smile.

"Good- Andrei and Arkady must remain on lock down until Callen is safely back on US soil and all parties are behind bars. We cannot afford for them to be seen until that time" she reinforced.

"You got it" Nell agreed, updating the instructions to the teams at the safe locations. Hetty took a deep breath- she hated it when her team was in harm's way especially so far away from home, but it was a necessary part of the job despite being one that she would never get used to.

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"I hate long haul" Deeks complained as the three operatives stepped off the military plane. "My mouth feels all gritty and that airline do not have good looking hostesses" he stated as he nodded farewell at the navy airman that had looked after them during the flight.

"It was free Deeks, and the quickest way we could have got here" Sam stated, used to the complaints of the detective by now.

"Where to now?" Kensi asked, interjecting before the two men could start bickering.

"Await instruction from Hetty I guess" Sam responded with a shrug, moving towards the car rental an air of nonchalance, that he didn't feel, surrounding him.

"I just hope his GPS has been working" Kensi stated softly. Neither of the men had anything to add to her sentiments.

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"This is where you will be staying- you must be up and ready for the meeting at eight am" his guide told him as he unlocked the front door of a small cottage. Callen nodded as he stepped through and threw his bag down on the bunk that awaited him.

"Thank you" he responded with a nod, slipping his jacket off and placing it on the back of the chair in the compact kitchen.

"There is food and drink in the fridge- make yourself at home. We will see you tomorrow" the man stated, stepping back through the door and leaving the agent alone. Callen sighed as he noticed the slight blood stain over his shoulder wound- the dull throb once more making its presence known. He was glad to be alone, yet wouldn't relax until he had checked every square inch of the cottage.

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An hour later and the agent had discovered two cameras and six listening devices within the cottage, plus a tracker on his bag. He shook his head with a smile glad that his paranoia had set in. Stretching his back he moved to the bedroom and got changed into jeans and a shirt and headed out into the night. He walked a series of loops and turns for an hour before taking out his secondary phone and firing off a text to OSP. Satisfied that he had made as much contact as he was able he began the long walk back to the cottage, phone shattered into pieces and thrown into the surrounding area.

End Chapter Twenty Four


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Five

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Chapter Twenty Five

"Got it Hetty- we are en route now" Sam responded, gesturing directions to Deeks who was currently driving the rental. "Yeah we are a couple of hours behind, can Eric send us the GPS of a hotel nearby?" he asked softly, nodding as he received the response. "We'll check in later" he promised as he disconnected the call. Reaching for the navigation device he keyed in the coordinates. "Head towards there Deeks, until we get an update on somewhere to stay we might as well head in the right direction" Sam instructed.

"Has Callen checked in?" Kensi asked lightly, knowing that Sam would be getting worried about his partner.

"Yes he texted a while ago, the deal goes down first thing tomorrow- so we need to be ready" Sam instructed gently, his two colleagues simply nodded- recognising the importance of the next day Deeks pushed the car to go just that little bit faster.

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Callen rotated his shoulder as far as he could without hissing in pain. It was not ideal that he was less than 100% with the mission as it was. He dry swallowed his pain killers and antibiotics before popping open an ice cold bottle of beer. He had ten hours before one way or the other this would finally all be over. He prayed that Arkady and Andrei were stowed somewhere safely and that Hetty had teams ready to grab Ivor and co as soon as the teams in Syria struck- the timing would be imperative. He wasn't nervous- he never was during a mission, he was merely calculating possible outcomes and forming potential solutions to any issues that could arise. He knew that the rest of his team would be somewhere nearby- Hetty would never have allowed him to travel all that way without some of the team in support. He just couldn't allow himself to rely on it, he didn't know where they were or what the plan was- he just knew that if he needed help it would be there and that was enough for him.

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"So what's the plan?" Deeks asked as the three unloaded the car and made through way to the two rooms that Eric had booked using a fictional company's credit card.

"Well we know when it is going down, but that is all that we know. We are going to have to rely on Eric and Nell to feed the information from Callen's GPS to us as they move off. We can only hope that he will be able to activate his ear wig so that we know when he is safely out of there" Sam stated, not liking it even as he spoke the words.

"Not to sound like Billy Downer- but isn't quite a lot of that plan based on hopes and ifs?" Deeks questioned, his face the picture of seriousness.

"There's nothing else we can do Deeks- we have no information, no details and no in" Sam argued, "don't make it worse than it already is"

"Sam's right Deeks- we have to make the best of what we have got, for Callen's sake" Kensi interjected not wanting the team to fall apart before they had even really got started.

"Right well we have an early start in the morning, we better turn in" Deeks suggested with a nod towards his partner.

"Good idea. 5am start guys, get some sleep" Sam agreed carefully as he headed to the small bathroom to complete his ablutions.

"Do you think he's ok?" Deeks asked his partner softly, once the senior agent was out of ear shot.

"He will be when Callen is safely out of there" Kensi responded with a grimace. "Night Deeks" she bid as she headed for the door and into her room next door. Deeks sighed, he had a bad feeling about the developments in the operation- he couldn't help the slight uneasy feeling he felt in his gut at the lack of certainty they faced the next day. Sure in their business there were rarely any guarantees about anything, yet somehow this time felt different. He got to his feet and set the alarm on his cell phone placing it beside the bed he stripped down to his boxer shorts and waited his turn in the bathroom.

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The next morning Callen was awake at the crack of dawn, dressed and ready to go. He had affixed a button cam to his shirt button and an ear wig was dutifully activated.

"You getting me" he whispered, all too aware of the devices within the lodgings.

"Loud and clear Callen" Eric responded, the tech had been at work all night- yet he didn't begrudge a second of it in the interest of his friend getting home safely. "Hetty wants to know if you are ok?" he asked quietly- not admitting that he desperately needed the answer to the question too. "Can you tap the camera once for yes?" he requested. Callen promptly tapped the camera once. "Good- stay in touch" Eric requested softly, pleased to at least see that the agent was safe and well. Callen took a deep breath before stepping out of the door, just as the car drove up the driveway to collect him. Soon this would be ended one way or the other.

End Chapter Twenty Five

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	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

Thank you for the wonderful loyal reviews for the last chapter, I can't believe that I now have over 200 reviews for this story! Please keep with us there are only a further three chapters after this one- so we are nearly at the end of the journey!

Chapter Twenty Six

"Did you sleep well Demetri?" Asad questioned the undercover agent with a smile, as he stepped out of the vehicle.

"Yes very well thank you" Callen responded, a confident smirk plastered over his face as he moved closer to the arms buyer.

"Good, you are looking less healthy than the last time I saw you. I heard that there was an incident with Andrei? Is the situation sorted, or do I need to be worried that we have been compromised?" he asked as he leant against the car- his posture relaxed yet his shoulders tense as he awaited the response from the younger man. Callen allowed a barked laugh to escape him as he stepped slightly to the side and gestured with his arms in a nonchalant fashion.

"We have not been compromised- the incident was internal politics that resulted in the minimal exposure for us and two members of a local gang being arrested for murder" he finally responded, knowing that the cover story had been released to the press a few days earlier.

"I am pleased to hear it Demetri- it would be a big shame for me to have to kill you, such a waste of a beautiful friendship" the larger man started with a feral grin. "Anyway enough about that, it is all in the past- we must look to the here and now. The quality of the arms is perfect and I thank you for bringing them safely all of this way to me"

"It is a pleasure Asad, somebody needed to make sure that the deal went through smoothly" Callen stated as he rolled his aching neck on his shoulders.

"Come Demetri, let's have some food and drink- and finalise the unsavoury matter of the financials" Asad invited, noticing the other man's discomfort he lead the way into the large house behind them. Callen followed silently behind, pleased to be out of the dry heat and progressing the mission.

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"His cover is still intact" Sam commented as they listened in on the conversation from a mile away.

"He needs to get out of there" Kensi muttered, more to herself than for her team mates. "Something is wrong, I just have this feeling that something is going to happen" she stated as she paced beside the car.

"He will get out, he just needs to wait for the right moment" Deeks interjected softly, trying to calm his partner, yet still concentrate on the feed coming from their undercover team member.

"Deeks is right, G will get out of there as soon as he can without blowing the op" Sam told the highly strung junior agent, his gaze never leaving the screen in front of him. Deeks squeezed the larger man's shoulder gently in reassurance, before sitting back down in the front of the car.

"I just hope it is soon" he whispered, as he too watched the button cam feed.

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"Perfect footage here" Eric stated appreciatively as he ran facial recognition against each of the men sat around the table. "This is like a who's who of global terrorism" he commented as time after time target faces appeared with a full rap sheet of offences.

"Look at their financials and their movements over the last six months Mr Beale- gather as much together as possible, we need to take these all down" Hetty instructed lightly.

"I have ran checks on all of their cell phones, and so far we have enough to link three of them directly to three bombings across the middle east- two of which resulted in the death of a number of US military personnel" Nell informed them as she collated as much information as she was able to, as quickly as possible.

"Good work Miss Jones, now find me more" Hetty requested, moving downstairs to update the director – all the while hoping that this nightmare would hurry up and come to a close.

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"Let us get the ugly business of the money out of the way. It was a fair price that was agreed with Ivor and I will honour my part of the deal. I hope that this little arrangement will be very profitable for all of us- I trust you are being paid fairly?" Asad questioned as he finished his glass of whiskey and poured a second.

"Yes, Ivor is very fair to those he considers loyal" Callen responded, not wanting to prompt the other man into offering him a job.

"Good, you have proven yourself to be loyal to him Demetri- but please remember that if you change your mind and would like to try sunnier climes, there are many opportunities available to you with my organisation" Asad offered with a grin.

"Thank you for the offer, I will bear it in mind" Callen responded tactfully.

"Good, we always have roles available for undercover government agents" Asad stated, his tone changing dramatically and his men stepping forward to take hold of the NCIS agent before he could even blink.

"What are you talking about?" Callen questioned, confusion written all over his face.

"You don't fool me Special Agent Callen" Asad hissed, "and you will not get away betraying my trust in this way. Take him" he instructed and jerked his head towards the door behind them.

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"He's been made" Sam gasped, disbelieving the update. "Hetty we got to move in" he stated to the Ops manager who felt so very far away at that moment in time.

"I will mobilise your support, get him out of there Mr Hanna" Hetty instructed, already reaching for the phone as she spoke and hitting a speed dial. "It's a go go go- Los Angeles team confirm?" she ordered, her gaze fixed on the screen in front of her. She received the confirmation she required and watched as all teams hit their locations. "Mr Beale- mobilise the special forces teams, as quickly as possible" she requested, trying to ignore the shake to her hands as she placed the receiver back on the telephone.

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"We need to move guys and fast" Sam stated, pulling on his tactical vest underneath his jacket, side arm fastened at his thigh and rifle slung around his shoulder. "The GPS signal hasn't moved, so he is still in the house" the senior agent stated. "Tactical teams will be on their way, but I don't think G has that long- you two take the back, I will take side door" Sam instructed, trying to ignore the sounds of a scuffle that was coming via his partner's comm link. "G you best get through this partner, or I will kill you myself"

End Chapter Twenty Six

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	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty Seven

Thank you so much for the reviews! Please keep them coming, it makes me write faster!

**Slight warning with this chapter that there is graphic violence- please don't read if you are too young to do so, or are upset by such things. **

Chapter Twenty Seven

Callen hissed as another punch struck him in the stomach- a whoosh of air escaping the stoic agent as he refused to scream out in pain, determined not to give his captor the satisfaction. The man that hit him stepped back with a manic grin on his face as he got to deliver blow after blow to the government agent, and despite the audible crack as the rib cage gave way the man made no sound whatsoever.

"Ah such bravery Agent Callen- I don't care, I have my instructions and I will stick to them" the man told the bound agent. Callen drew back his head and spat as hard as he could a grin of satisfaction covering his face as the mixture of bile and blood landed directly in the other man's face.

"If you want to be a brainless goon, no problem" Callen hissed, frustrated as his newly acquired broken ribs prevented his words from having the power he wanted.

"So brave, you arrogant American's thinking you can go to any country and infiltrate us- well not this time" he stated as he drew back his fist and punched the agent directly in the face, Callen's bit through his lip as his head jolted harshly to the side, the whiplash effect cascading pain down his neck and through his spine- still he refused to cry out. The next thing he saw was a face coming towards him before the crack of a forehead striking his- and then his World turned to darkness.

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Sam eased his way through to the side of the house, trying to see where his partner was within the large house.

"Any joy on the satellite Eric?" he asked the tech quietly.

"There are heat sources all over the building. Kensi there are two just in front of your position right now" he warned as he monitored from several thousand miles away.

"Mr Hanna- the LA teams have successfully captured Ivor and his cohorts, your back up is seven minutes away- now be careful" Hetty interjected softly- hating the danger that her family was in, but knowing that at that moment it was unavoidable.

"We will Hetty" Sam responded. Seven minutes was an eternity when he had no idea if his partner was even still alive.

"Sam- there's an off roader heading out of the front of the house, four heat sources" Eric updated the agents quietly.

"Monitor it Eric, we'll clear the house- but just in case Callen is in it" the agent requested. "Kensi on three" he instructed getting to his feet- saying a silent prayer before charging into the premises.

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Callen stirred, his world full of pain as he blinked to steady his swaying vision, his face was a mass of pain as his broken nose made itself known. He spat the blood from his mouth onto the floor and blinked to adjust his vision to the darkness that surrounded him. He attempted to draw a deep breath, stopping as a sharp stabbing pain shot through his chest at the action. His hands were bound tightly behind his back and he could feel that his wrists were already swelling at the ropes. In short he was in trouble and he knew it. He could tell from the smell that he was no longer in the house, he just didn't know where he was or if his team would know where to look for him. Suddenly exhausted he rested his throbbing head against the dirty floor and allowed his mind to drift; realising as they went over a bump that he was in a vehicle. Ignoring the pain it caused for a moment he dragged himself up so that he was sitting- his back resting against the side of the van that he appeared to be travelling in. Bending his already damaged wrist he stretched his fingers to reach for his watch and breathed a sigh of relief as he managed to flick the switch on the side. Only when he was certain he had completed his task, did he allow unconsciousness to claim him.

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"Clear" Sam stated as he zip tied the last occupant of the room he had searched.

"Clear" Kensi repeated, and finally Deeks added similar sentiments.

"No Callen" Sam commented, his anger lacing in every word.

"No sign of him here either" Kensi told them in frustration.

"Guys I might be able to help here" Eric interjected. "Callen activated his agent in distress through his watch GPS two minutes ago" he told them.

"Where is he?" Sam asked already moving and allowing the clear up team to take control of their many prisoners. Kensi and Deeks immediately followed his lead and headed back to the car in double time.

"Road 7 crossing 2 as we speak" he stated, "guys they are in some fast moving vehicle- you need to set off now they are twenty miles ahead of you" Eric informed them sensing the urgency himself. He didn't need to tell them twice as within seconds the three were on the road and heading as directed, chasing for updates from the tech as they moved.

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"You dirty Western pig" the man hissed as he dragged the undercover agent's semi-conscious body into the hut. "You will suffer like your country makes our people suffer"

"Don't even pretend you do this for anything other than personal greed" Callen stated, using his last traces of energy to talk back to the man. His comment only earning him a swift kick to the mid-section- with his arms bound behind his back he was unable to defend himself so he merely curled up into a ball to prevent further damage. As a final blow the man lifted his foot and stamped down hard on the fallen agent's ankle- hearing the crunch as bones and ligaments were crushed beneath the reinforced boot- he finally got his victory as the agent lost his battle to fight the pain, his last thought as he drifted away was the hope that his team would get to him- and soon.

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"Talk to me Eric" Sam pleaded as they were still yet to catch up with the van carrying their precious team leader.

"It looks as though they headed into Homs and then stopped just off the main road Sam" Eric responded. "You are about eight miles away and then there is a turn off" he told them. "There are no photographic satellites in the area, so I can't get a detailed picture" he apologised.

"Just guide us in Eric" Sam reassured the younger man the only way that he knew how. Without further comment the senior agent pushed down the gas just a little bit harder as he became more and more determined to get to his friend,

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"Yes Leon, the team is en route to get him back as we speak" Hetty told the director softly.

"I cannot express how important it is that Agent Callen is brought back to the US safely Henrietta" Leon stated, knowing already that he was preaching to the choir. "Do we know what his condition is?" he asked softly, sensing how difficult the situation was for the ops manager.

"Unknown although a pool of blood was discovered that the scene that Agent Blye believes to be from Agent Callen" Hetty explained, hiding her fear behind professional conversation.

"And the leak?" Vance questioned, beyond concerned that a leak of this scale could have occurred at such a vital point in the operation.

"Miss Jones is working on that one. She is running the data from the men captured at each of the scenes against any former cases or links to existing agents" Hetty informed him.

"Well find them, and get them taken down Hetty" Vance instructed forcefully.

"Consider it done" Hetty replied, her own tone firm. With a shaking hand she disconnected the call- suddenly feeling very old and very tired she headed back to ops to find out about her boy.

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"Next left Sam" Eric guided the agent carefully, "the vehicle has stopped four hundred yards ahead- it looks like some sort of compound made up of a series of out buildings and storage containers" he told them. "I have spoken to the support team and they have your co ords they will be ten minutes behind you"

"Thanks Eric" Sam stated gratefully.

"Good luck guys" the tech bid softly, hating that he had helped all that he could and now had to sit back and listen as his family battled to save one of their own.

End Chapter Twenty Seven

Please review!


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty Eight

Thank you so much for the reviews and I am sorry that I left you with a mini cliff hanger….

Please review!

Chapter Twenty Eight

"We have got to go in" Sam stated as he stopped the car, the others didn't need to say a word- their movement out of the vehicle said it all and the former seal knew that they were beside him all of the way.

"Mr Hanna- all US parties have been secured, Miss Jones is still working on where the leak came from" Hetty told them over the com link.

"Roger that Hetty, we are going to head in and locate Callen" Sam responded. Hetty hesitated before replying, her head advising her to tell them to wait for their back up, but her heart screaming at her to usher them in to rescue their missing team leader and bring him home safely.

"Be safe- all of you" she settled on saying, watching the screens in ops for any update that may come.

"How are we going to play this?" Kensi questioned softly, looking at Sam to take the lead.

"Outbuildings first" he replied, Eric had already told them the basic layout of the premises- and the experienced agent had a good idea where his partner might be stowed. "We stick together, provide the best cover- if we find G we get out and let the backup team make the arrests" Sam stated decisively.

"Let's go" Kensi instructed, her SIG already in her right hand as she readied herself to finally bring their friend home.

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"I think I have something" Nell announced as she rechecked the information on the screen, she looked around her waiting for Hetty to join her at the computer.

"Well Miss Jones?" Hetty prompted impatiently.

"This man here is Boris Jormanski- formerly of the KGB. He was serving in Moscow at the same time as Arkady" Nell explained, bringing up redacted files on the big screen. "Now I can't find anything in here to directly show whether he ever met Agent Callen, but it would be plausible" she stated.

"What is his involvement in this matter?" Hetty asked as she absorbed the information.

"According to the files he brokered the original deal between Asad and Ivor- it looks as though he -was a family friend back in Russia" the young analyst told them. "None of the other figures have even the remotest link to Agent Callen" she finished.

"I will speak with Arkady- if Jormanski is the leak then he needs dealing with in the right manner" the ops manager stated, her tone leaving no doubt as to what she meant.

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Hetty left immediately and taking an indirect route she headed straight to the safe house that currently sheltered Callen's old friend.

"How is G?" he asked by way of a greeting.

"I have no idea at this moment in time Mr Kolcheck" she responded crisply.

"Has something gone wrong?" he asked, genuinely concerned for the younger man.

"Mr Callen's cover had been compromised- he is currently MIA in Syria" she told him as she sat down in the lounge.

"What? How has this happened?" the Russian asked in confusion.

"We think it has something to do with this man" she stated as she held up her cell phone with a picture displayed.

"Boris? What could it possibly have to do with him?" he asked, genuinely not understanding the connection.

"Would this man know that Mr Callen works for the US government?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

"Of course- he met G when he worked for the DEA, around the same time that I first met him. What is going on?" he asked, getting frustrated at the lack of answers.

"Your old friend now works for an arms dealer that trades weapons with known terrorist cells throughout the middle east. There is a strong possibility that he is responsible for Mr Callen now being beaten and held captive in god alone knows what conditions" Hetty stated, her tone angry as she thought of the young man that meant so much to her being injured and far away from home.

"Hetty, I have not been Boris for ten years, I had no idea that he could be involved in something such as this. G is my friend- I would do nothing to harm him." Arkady reasoned softly and the ops manager knew that he was speaking the truth.

"I need everything that you have on Jormanski please Mr Kolcheck" she requested, accepting his words.

"Of course" he agreed easily. "Please let me know when G has been brought home safely?" he asked, and received a nod as his only confirmation.

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Sam raised his hand in a silent signal to his team mates, as he branched left around the outbuilding the other partners headed right. Quickly and efficiently the team cleared the perimeter of the building before moving to the door and picking the lock- each of them disappointed to clear the area without finding their missing friend. They repeated the process twice more on the next two buildings, before moving on to a small wooden hut slightly further into the compound.

"Cover me" Kensi whispered as she holstered her weapon and set to work on the three locks securing the door. Within minutes she had achieved her task and Sam carefully popped the door open, all three stepped into the small space with guns drawn and sweeping the area.

"G" Sam hissed as he caught sight of a slumped figure in the corner- his concern escalating at the sight of the blood that covered his unconscious friend. Without a moment's pause the former seal headed forward and knelt down beside his friend and drawing his knife he severed the ropes that bound the younger man's wrists.

"Is he ok?" Kensi asked as she covered the door in case any of the aggressors returned.

"I'm not sure- we have got to get him out of here" Sam responded, carefully pulling his partner against him and lifting him with his arm draped over his shoulder. Deeks moved forward and took the other side the two men carrying the injured agent out of the hut and Kensi providing cover.

"We need to move fast- the support team will be here any second" she stated softly, the team moving as quickly as possible back to the car. Sam felt as though he had held his breath the entire walk back to the car and he only released it as he eased his friend into the back seat.

"Deeks- get us out of here" the Seal instructed, his gaze never leaving his partner's face. The younger partnership were in the front of the car in a heartbeat with the engine started. Sam carefully edged his way into the rear of the car beside his partner, just as the vehicle lurched into motion three land rovers came into sight and signalled the arrival of their support. Deeks drove away regardless, heading south on the main road, and only stopping when they reached a deserted dirt track.

"How's he doing?" the LAPD liaison asked gently, looking over his shoulder at the duo in the back.

"He's still unconscious- he needs hospital and fast" Sam responded, already reaching for his com link. "Eric- we need a medevac to our current location" he stated.

"They are ten minutes out Sam- they were on standby near Damascus" the tech responded softly.

"What is Mr Callen's status?" Hetty asked, her voice betraying her concern.

"He's hurt Hetty- he needs hospital" was all that Sam could reply as he struggled to even check his friend for injuries. His once white shirt was now crimson, and his skin was the pallor of a ghost, yet a sheen of sweat covered the unconscious agent, his pulse fluttering gently beneath the fingers of his partner.

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The ten minute wait for the helicopter felt like an eternity for the elite team, but finally it landed a short distance away from them and military medics came dashing across to them- equipment in hand.

"What do we have?" the first medic asked softly as he assisted the agent in lifting the unconscious man out of the car.

"I am not sure- he has reopened a gunshot wound to his shoulder and appears to have taken a knock to the head" Sam explained as he watched them care for his friend, attaching monitors and noting down results with practiced ease.

"Ok let's get him out of here- would one of you like to come with him?" the man offered, knowing a close knit team when he saw one.

"Please" Sam stated automatically- completely unwilling to leave his friend. Kensi and Deeks exchanged a knowing look.

"Go Sam- we'll go back to help the support crew with the clear up" Kensi agreed with a weak smile. "Keep us updated" she added. Sam nodded, sparing no more time for words as he followed behind his friend and stepped into the helicopter which was in the air within minutes.

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Two hours later and the partners were in Israel, and Callen was stable- although still unconscious, much to his partner's concern.

"What now?" the former seal questioned the pilot lightly.

"There is a transporter waiting to take you to the medical facility, and a flight back to the US for the day after tomorrow assuming that your friend is up to the move" the medic assured the agent gently. Sam nodded in gratitude, they had known that the op would be risky, and getting home would be a challenge in itself. His partner was safe and all of the suspects had been detained and were now in individual interrogations that he was sure would gather them vital intelligence in the war against terrorism- yet somehow he couldn't bring himself to care too much about that, his sole focus remained on his partner. He couldn't help the small well of anger bubbling inside of him- his partner had been undercover for months without him even knowing- risking his life and everything he knew on the latest op, only making the team aware of the mission when his hand was forced. Sometimes he could throttle his partner for his lone wolf tendencies, the former seal could not compute why his friend just couldn't seem to accept that he had the love and support of his team around him. As his partner was wheeled away from him in the closest thing to a trauma room that they were going to get, Sam allowed his stress to finally get on top of him as his fists clenched and unclenched at his side. He leant back against the wall and took deep breaths to settle his nerves, just hoping that this nightmare would soon be over with.

End Chapter Twenty Eight

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	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Thank you for all of the reviews! Please keep them coming as we have just arrived at the penultimate chapter!

Chapter Twenty-Nine

"You have just nearly caused a diplomatic crisis Henrietta!" Director Vance exclaimed down the telephone. "It has taken me all night to convince the vice president not to fire your ass" he stated with a sigh. "Now please tell me that the team are safely back on US soil?"

"Not quite Leon" Hetty responded, knowing that she had overstepped many lines in order to get her agents evacuated safely-but she had known the risks when she had made her decisions. She knew there would be repercussions, she only hoped that they wouldn't be international ones.

"And Agent Callen?" he asked.

"Alive- I am awaiting a full update on his condition" Hetty answered, unable to mask the worry to her voice.

"Keep me informed Miss Lange" he instructed, his tone making it clear that it was not a request. He disconnected the call before she could even respond, reasserting the fact that she was well and truly in the bad books-yet if it meant that her team got home safe and sound- she would do it all again.

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Callen groaned out loud as he came to awareness. His whole body was a mass of pain, and he had no idea where he was. Without uttering a further sound he attempted to pull himself into a seated position, ignoring the fire it caused to spread in his shoulder and the pounding in his head.

"Hey easy G" a voice muttered to his side. He flinched as even that small sound caused his head to hurt more than he ever thought would be possible. He closed his eyes and swallowed back on the nausea that rose. "You with me partner?" Sam questioned beside his friend, his concern escalating as the younger man failed to answer him.

"Sam?" Callen finally questioned, his voice a mere whisper.

"I'm here G" Sam assured his friend as he moved closer so the lead agent wouldn't have to strain to see him.

"What happened?" the injured man questioned, his eyes remaining shut.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Sam asked him, keeping his voice low.

"Getting made" Callen responded, his tone carrying his displeasure.

"That was five days ago G" Sam informed him. "We got you back from a compound just out of Damascus, you got back to the states yesterday"

"We get them all?" Callen asked, ever the agent he couldn't bear the thought of any of the terrorists getting away.

"Every last one of the G- including the bastard that sold you out" Sam assured him.

"Good" was all that the younger man uttered before closing his eyes and allowing sleep to claim him. Sam sighed as his friend drifted away once more- frustrated that he hadn't even questioned his injuries to confirm what was wrong with him, yet focussed on the case. Sometimes G Callen frustrated his partner beyond words with his shear lack of concern for his own welfare- yet the navy seal knew that his friend would never change.

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"G- your ankle is broken in six places, there is no way in hell that you are walking out of here" Sam argued with his partner a mere week later.

"Then wheel me out Sam- just get me out of here" Callen responded as he gingerly swung his legs out of the bed,

"No way in hell man. Lay back down before you cause yourself another injury" the seal stated with a roll of his eyes. "For once do as you are told G" Sam added.

"Come on Sam, I am fine I just need to get out of here I can lie down at home" Callen argued.

"You don't even own a bed G" Sam stated.

"I need to get out of here, I am sick of the poking and prodding all the time- I'll heal better at home"

"You mean like last time? When you headed out to Russia when you could barely stand up and nearly got yourself killed again? Or even this time? Already shot and beaten but you headed out to Syria- you nearly died G and I can't bear the thought of standing here and letting you hurt yourself again" Sam stated, his voice rising as all of his fear and worry overtook him. Callen was speechless at his friend's outburst. "Sorry G- you need to realise that people care about you, and hate seeing you hurt. The fact that you don't regard your own welfare doesn't stop others from worrying about you" he finished. Callen swallowed past the lump in his throat having no idea how to respond to his partner's comments.

"I'm sorry Sam" he stated, lifting his damaged leg back onto the bed carefully and resting his head back. Sam smiled lightly at the gesture- glad that he had appeared to get through to his friend, even if just a little bit.

"That's better- now you be a good little patient, have the surgery on your ankle tomorrow and then we'll talk about you getting out of here" Sam stated, a grin covering his face.

"Fine" Callen hissed, his frustration not diminishing, but knowing that his argument was not going to get him anywhere.

"There has been an update on the case" Sam told him, knowing that distracting his partner would go a long way to improving his mood.

"And?" Callen questioned, his eyes still closed- but the tenseness to his shoulders proving that he was listening.

"Ivor admitted everything, gave details of the entire set up and all his contacts. There have been a further twenty six arrests and so far forty three people have been charged and remanded" he told his friend. Callen nodded accepting the news and pleased that his ordeal had not been in vain.

"Andrei?" he questioned.

"Fine- relocated to New Jersey under a new identity complete with his family. No charges to be brought due to his cooperation and the lack of evidence against him. He sends you his gratitude for what you did G" Sam explained, knowing that his partner would consider his role minimal despite the fact that he had saved the other man and family from a certain painful death.

"Good and Arkady?" he asked, hoping that his long term friend had kept his head down and out of matters.

"He has gone to Moscow for an extended holiday, until after the trials" Sam informed his partner.

"Is he protected?"

"He has his own guys and refused anything else" Sam stated, knowing that his friend wouldn't like this update.

"He is going to get himself killed" Callen uttered.

"G- there is nothing that you can do, he is almost as stubborn as you are" Sam reasoned.

"That's what worries me" Callen admitted. "Seriously Sam you don't need to stay here, I will do as I'm told- go and spend some time with your family" he instructed.

"You- do as you're told? That's a new one! Seriously G, I'll be back later. Michelle mentioned she might swing by to see you" he told his friend gently.

"Tell her to spend the time with you instead- I will be fine Sam, I'll catch up with them when I am out of here"

"I'll bring you something unhealthy back" Sam promised before he left. As soon as he left Callen allowed sleep to claim him, for once doing as he had been told.

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"You need to bring him here Sam" Michelle stated as she grabbed a slice of pizza.

"He won't come, you know how stubborn he is" Sam stated as he sipped his ice tea.

"I know you are worried about him Sam- he does know that you care" his wife told him as she squeezed his hand gently.

"Does he? I don't think he understands why people care about him, I tell him until I am blue in the face, but he still doesn't get it. He still pushes us away and takes off by himself. He was undercover with this Russian gang for weeks and I had no idea, I wasn't there to watch his back and this is what happened- he could have died"

"Could have, but didn't Sam- because you and the team were there to make sure that he didn't. Now I don't know exactly what went on, but I do know that you would do everything you possibly could to make sure that he came back in one piece. He knows that you care Sam, and he loves you for it- he just doesn't know how to do the whole family thing" Michelle told her husband gently. She had seen how his partner interacted with their daughter and it was obviously that he would do anything to protect the Hanna family- and she loved him for it. Callen had been hurt several times in the past and every time had Sam just as worried, and his recovery was always made even more difficult by how very alone he was- and how determined he appeared to stay that way. "When he was shot before he stayed here Sam- you just need to convince him" she said with a smile, kissing her beloved husband on the head before she headed back into the kitchen.

"Hmm, easier said than done" he muttered to himself.

End Chapter Twenty Nine

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	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Well here we are- the very finally chapter of this mammoth story. Thank you so much for all of you that have read this from start to finish and reviewed constantly, I really appreciate it! Please leave me your thoughts at the end of this!

Chapter Thirty

Callen growled in frustration as the pulsating pain in his ankle stopped him from even moving the leg.

"I thought surgery was supposed to make it better?" he stated to himself as he leant back against the chair.

"It is if you give it time to heal G" his partner's voice interjected his musings. Callen rolled his eyes at the comment. "It's been two days since your surgery G- give it time" Sam commented with a wry grin- knowing how unlikely it was that his friend would take his advice.

"Don't need a mother Sam" the younger man replied with a sigh. "You busting me out of here?"

"Not until you have somewhere to go partner, the doctor won't discharge you without someone to watch over you" the former navy seal reasoned.

"I don't need a babysitter either Sam" Callen argued, his blue eyes flashing with a fire that Sam had not seen since this whole nightmare started.

"Like hell you don't! You can't even stand up G- so swallow your pride and take the offer of staying at mine" Sam offered for what felt like the hundredth time.

"I already told you Sam, I don't want to impose- you get little enough time with your family anyway" the smaller man reasoned.

"And I told you that Michelle will have my hide if you don't stay with us- plus it is either my place or Hetty's" the seal continued. Callen failed to suppress the small shudder that the comment caused. He sighed again, relieved that it didn't pull on his injuries as much now that the healing had begun, suspecting that he was beaten he reluctantly agreed to his partner's suggestion.

"Fine, but only for a couple of days until I have navigated the crutches" he stated.

"Whatever you say G- now I will go and sign you out" Sam said with a grin.

"I can go?" Callen asked, surprised.

"Yep I spoke with your doctor this morning. I just need to collect your meds, now can you manage to get yourself dressed?" he suggested as he stepped out of the room. Sam was pleased to see a bit of life returning to his partner- the younger man had been withdrawn over the course of the last few days and Sam suspected that it wasn't solely to do with his injuries.

As Sam left him, Callen shook his head, unable to pretend that he hadn't just been thoroughly conned by his partner- he gingerly reached forward for the bag on the floor in front of him and pulled out the shirt. Noticing that his thoughtful partner had brought him a button through option, making it easy for him to get it over his various injuries.

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"Have you managed to locate Mr Kolcheck as yet Miss Jones?" Hetty asked the intelligence analyst softly.

"Nothing, there has been plenty of chat and emails exchanged by persons of interest, however nothing from Arkady himself" Nell explained softly, knowing that the news was not positive.

"Anything to suggest he has come to harm?" Hetty questioned, knowing that her lead agent would only blame himself if something happened to his long term friend.

"Not as yet no, however the threat is definitely there" Nell stated with a sigh.

"And Andrei?"

"Safe and sound in the new location, nothing whatsoever to suggest the new identities have been compromised in any way and they appear to have settled well" the analyst explained with a smile.

"Excellent news Miss Jones- keep me informed" Hetty requested lightly, she knew that Callen was being released from the hospital into the care of his partner that day and she wanted to ensure that all loose ends were nicely tied up. Silently she headed to her desk- she had a call to place to the FBI, only then would her agent be able to heal both mentally and physically.

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"Glad to be out?" Sam asked his partner as he observed the younger man basking in the LA sunshine.

"Hell yeah, sick of those walls" Callen replied, allowing the sun to warm his pale skin and finally relaxing as he breathed in the fresh air.

"Come on let's get you out of here" the older partner offered assisting his friend get into the car and not missing the wince or the pain lines as he did so. The journey back to Sam's was mostly in silence as both of the men reflected on the past few weeks. In no time the car was pulled to a stop outside the Hanna residence and Callen was hobbling into the house with a great deal of assistance from his partner. "Do you want to go to bed, or watch some TV?" Sam asked his pale friend.

"Sit in the yard for a while?" Callen asked.

"Sure" Sam agreed assisting his friend to navigate clumsily through the house before easing down into a patio chair with a sigh. "What do you want to drink?" he asked as he moved back towards the house.

"A beer would be good" Callen responded with a grin, knowing that he stood little chance of his wish being granted. A thought that was confirmed a few moments later when his partner handed him a cartoon of orange juice. "Thanks" Callen snorted as he accepted the drink. Sam laughed lightly at his friend's evident disappointment- but with the cocktail of drugs his partner was taking he daren't risk any alcohol.

"You need anything else?" Sam asked quietly, not wishing to disturb his friend's relaxation.

"No I'm good thanks" Callen responded, his head resting back and his eyes closed. Sam shook his head at his friend, moving a footstool closer and carefully lifting his friend's injured leg to elevate it on the stool. "Thanks" Callen repeated, feeling more comfortable with the support for the injured limb.

"You're welcome. Hetty mentioned she might come by later- you feeling up to it?" Sam asked, not wanting to push his friend too far.

"I'm fine Sam" was Callen's only response as the exhaustion of the day caught up with him and he drifted off to sleep in the warmth of the sun.

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"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me Miss Roberts" Hetty stated with a smile at the younger woman in front of her. "How have you been feeling?" she asked as she handed her a cup of coffee.

"I am much better now thank you- what is it that you want from me?" she asked, getting straight to the point.

"I would like you to meet one of my agents- one that you have already met before?" Hetty requested.

"Hmm, would it be the one known as Demetri?" the wise young woman questioned.

"Yes" Hetty confirmed quietly, not missing the serious expression on the other woman's face, and suddenly doubting the wisdom of her actions.

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Sam observed his partner quietly, without the medication in his system the younger agent was experiencing broken sleep to say the least. The injured man was yet to move from the sun lounger in his partner's backyard- yet his sleep was far from restful as he moved fitfully and his eyes rolled under his closed lids. Sam sighed hating that even in sleep his friend was unable to escape his nightmares he was pulled from his reverie by a knock at the door, and as quietly as possible he moved to allow his visitor access- already suspecting who it would be.

"Come in Hetty" he greeted with a smile, unsure who the other lady behind his ops manager was, but willing to allow them in.

"Where is the patient?" Hetty asked with a faint smile.

"In the garden, I'll go and wake him" Sam offered heading to wake his partner, but finding that he didn't have to as sleepy blue eyes stared back at him.

"Hetty here?" the younger man asked as he pulled himself more upright.

"Yeah and she has brought a friend" Sam informed his friend.

"Who?" he asked in surprise.

"Agent Roberts" a third voice interjected. "She wanted to speak with you Mr Callen" Hetty stated as she stood beside her lead agent, not missing the little colour draining from the man's face.

"Hetty…I can't" Callen argued, his face full of fear in a rare display of vulnerability.

"You can Mr Callen and you most certainly will" Hetty responded her tone leaving no room for negotiation. "Agent Roberts wants to speak to you Mr Callen, and you will show her the courtesy of listening" she instructed. Callen sighed to himself, knowing that he had no choice in the matter.

"Fine- help me inside?" he asked Sam holding out his hand for a hoist up. Sam obliged and between the partners they made their way back inside the house slowly and eased the injured man down onto the sofa.

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"Stop fretting Mr Hanna" Hetty instructed softly as the muscular man paced outside of your door.

"Are you sure he is ready for this?" he questioned.

"Your partner is not only ready for this Sam, but he needs this. This is the last obstacle in his recovery, the guilt that he feels is misplaced at best- we just need to make him see that" the canny ops manager explained.

"What happened with the FBI agent Hetty?" Sam asked fearing that as usual a clear answer would be elusive.

"That is for your partner to share with you Mr Hanna, now let's get a nice cup of tea and get some fresh air" she responded, not surprising her agent at all.

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"How have you been?" the pretty agent asked as she nervously sat down opposite the injured man.

"I'm fine- I should be asking about you" Callen replied, trying to hide a wince as he lifted his leg onto the nearby foot stool. "How are you?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

"I'm fine- nearly as good as new" she responded with a smile. "You had to do it Agent Callen, else we would both be dead" she reasoned calmly.

"I could have killed you" he argued.

"But you didn't. You stepped up and made a decision- it was the right one and we both lived to fight another day. You would have been made if you hadn't of done it, then there would have been no hope for either of us" she stated, and her tone carried nothing but the truth. "I came today because your ops manager asked me too. She thinks that you feel guilty for harming me, I don't think you understand the true ramifications of what had happened" she finished.

"I shot you- how can you be so understanding?" he questioned, disbelieving that she had forgiven him so easily.

"Because you saved my life agent Callen, in more ways than you know. I am still here because of you. Plus you prevented them from doing what they had planned" she commented, her eyes downcast as she relieved the painful memories.

"What did they have planned?" he asked, his voice cracking as he feared he knew the answer.

"They were going to rape me Agent Callen" she told him, her tear filled eyes finally looking up to meet his.

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An hour later and Sam was getting beyond concerned for his partner's mental wellbeing as the younger agent was still in the lounge with the female from the FBI.

"You think they are ok in there?" he asked Hetty, although the woman was not required to answer as finally the door opened and an unsteady Callen hobbled out with the young woman. The two spoke quietly between themselves before the woman left. Callen leant against the doorframe as he closed the front door behind her, reflecting on the conversation with the other agent.

"You good?" Sam asked him from behind.

"I'm kinda tired Sam- do you mind if I go to bed for a while?" Callen asked, his words doing little to ease his friend's concerns.

"Sure G- whatever you want to do" Sam agreed as he moved forward to assist his friend- the smaller man for once not objecting to the help. Half an hour later and the team leader was sound asleep in bed, and Sam was sipping at a beer as he checked on his friend- pleased to see that for once the younger man appeared to actually be getting his rest.

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A few hours later and Callen woke up, his pain meds were due and his injured body was making him all too aware of that fact. He winced as he pulled himself upright and attempted to stand- his injured ankle making it clear that it wasn't an option. He groaned as he slumped back to the bed, surveying his surroundings he latched onto the bedside cabinet and pulled himself up- ignoring the pain that flared through his body at the action. Finally he was on his feet and heading out of the room to the corridor, coming to the top of the stairs he clung onto the bannister with a white knuckled grip as he limped down the stairs.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" an angry Navy seal asked as he caught sight of his struggling partner. Without hesitation the larger man was level with his friend and practically carrying him down the stairs.

"Thanks" Callen mumbled as he was unceremoniously placed on the sofa.

"You stubborn fool- why didn't you shout me to help you?" Sam asked angrily.

"I'm fine" Callen responded as he got his breath back.

"Like hell. Take these" the frustrated man instructed as he handed him partner his medication.

"Thanks" Callen replied again, taking them without comment.

"Dinner will be ready in an hour" Sam commented as he headed back to the kitchen to calm his frustration. He loved his partner like a brother, but sometimes he just wanted to throttle him. He set about chopping the vegetables and when he had fully prepared the evening meal- he made some tea and carried it in to his partner who was sat staring at the television set. "Here" he stated as he handed the steaming beverage to his friend.

"Thanks Sam" Callen acknowledged as he wrapped his hands around the mug.

"How are you doing?" he asked as he sat down beside him.

"I'm good Sam- seriously you don't need to worry" Callen replied with a smile- yet his bright blue eyes held a hint of sadness that took Sam's breath away.

"Agent Roberts doing ok?" the seal asked, hoping that his friend would open up to him.

"She's good too Sam" was all the information that he got from his closed partner.

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A week passed and finally Callen had mastered the crutches- he was getting itchy feet and both senior agents knew it. Finally Callen could take no more, and Sam woke up on the eighth morning to find his friend sat on the sofa with his bag packed waiting for him.

"Home huh?" he asked with a grin. His friend had come on in leaps and bounds over the last few days, the weight of the world on his shoulders finally appeared to be lifting, and the man had regained some of his lost colour. All in all Callen was definitely taking steps in the right direction- and the very fact that he was none too subtly hinting that he wanted to return home was supporting that fact.

"Will you give me a ride?" the team leader asked with a grin.

"You not going to wait to say goodbye to Michelle?" Sam asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"I am sure that your family has seen more than enough of me Sam" Callen responded. Sam chuckled lightly as he grabbed his friend's bag, and his car keys and headed to the door- hearing the tapping of the crutches to confirm that his friend was following him.

"You sure about this G?" Sam asked as he drove the short distance to his friend's house.

"I'm fine Sam" Callen responded lazily.

"Well how are you going to manage- you don't even have a bed" Sam challenged lightly.

"I will be fine Sam- I don't need a mother"

"I'm not so sure" Sam muttered, and Callen wisely decided not to comment. Sooner than Sam wanted the duo were outside Callen's house, and he was assisting the younger man in. "I'll pick you up tomorrow for your check up?" Sam offered as he placed his friend's bag down.

"I'll get a cab Sam" Callen stated gently refusing his friend's assistance.

"There's no need G" Sam argued.

"Sam, really I'm fine. You need to get back to work full time- and I need to be by myself" Callen reasoned firmly. Sam sighed- he knew he was beaten. His friend had an independent streak a mile long and his lack of privacy and alone time would have been driving him mad.

"You'll call if you need anything?" Sam asked softly.

"I won't need anything Sam- I'm fine" Callen replied as he made his way to the kitchen area and got himself a beer from his fridge- ignoring his friend's disapproving look he twisted the cap off and took a long drag of the ice cold alcohol. Sam shook his head in despair, but knew his stubborn friend would never change.

"Call me G- don't make me keep coming out here to save your skinny ass" Sam instructed as he headed out to his car, leaving his grinning partner behind.

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"He has completely gone off the grid Hetty" Nell stated in frustration. "Nothing to trace any of his aliases, and no further use of his own passport" she continued.

"Anything further suggesting a threat Mr Beal?" Hetty asked the tech wizard beside her.

"Lots, we have intercepted over twenty emails, all of which suggest a price on his head- others offering to help in the hunt for him" Eric informed them.

"Do we need to worry?" Hetty questioned.

"Most definitely" Eric responded without hesitation.

"Find him Mr Beal, and for heaven's sake do not mention this conversation to Mr Callen" she ordered them, knowing that her instructions would be taken seriously she headed out of Ops and back to her desk- hoping against hope that she wouldn't regret the decision she had just made.

The End

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